THE world’s first single-engine helicopter to fly on completely sustainable aviation fuel has become part of the Royal Bahrain Air Force (RBAF).The kingdom recently received its first three Bell 505 helicopters from US-based aerospace manufacturer Bell Textron.“Generations of Bahraini pilots have flown in Bell helicopters, and the Bell 505 will continue the tradition of excellence for years to come,” said Bell Textron Africa and Middle East managing director Sameer Rahman.“We are honoured to provide the Bahrain Defence Force another premier Bell asset to train the next generation of Bahraini pilots.”

The three Bell 505 helicopters come with a package that include training, tooling and spare parts.They will join the Bell 212 and multiple generations of AH-1 attack helicopters that have previously been flown by the RBAF.The Bell 505 is powered by the Safran Helicopter Engines (HE) Arrius 2R featuring a first-in-class, dual-channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) that delivers exceptional performance along with a maximum cruise speed of 232kmph.

The reliability, speed, performance, and manoeuvrability of the Bell 505 helicopter is integrated with a flat floor open cabin that is configurable for a wide variety of missions and payloads.The spacious cabin can be configured to carry up to four passengers or configured for internal cargo missions by removing rear cabin seats and/or the co-pilot seat.Clamshell doors, located on the co-pilot side, open to a wide 140cm to allow for easy entry and exit from the aircraft.Large rear cabin windows and wrap around windscreens in the cockpit provide excellent visibility for passengers and enhance situational awareness for the crew.“With low operating costs and high reliability, the Bell 505 has emerged as a customer favourite to prepare cadets for a safer and more effective transition to advanced helicopters,” added Mr Rehman in a statement yesterday.Bahrain joins other countries in the region employing the Bell 505, including the Horizon International Flight Academy in the UAE which has 12 of the single-engine helicopters, and the Royal Jordanian Air Force which signed an agreement for 10 units in November 2022.More than 30 Bell 505 helicopters operate throughout the Middle East and Africa region. In total, the Bell 505 helicopters have logged more than 100,000 flight hours.

The GDN reported last month that the Bell 505 had completed its first flight fuelled solely by 100 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).Safran Helicopter Engines, GKN Aerospace, Neste and Virent collaborated with the Texan company for the flight.In addition, as the GDN previously reported, six new twin-engine attack helicopters from the company will be joining the RBAF fleet this year.The AH-1Z Vipers are being prepared for shipment, after making their debut outside the US at last year’s Bahrain International Air Show.The six AH-1Z Vipers are part of a $912 million (BD343.8m) deal for 12 units announced in 2018.naman@gdnmedia.bh

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