Bell Boeing team delivers 400th V-22 aircraft

The Bell Boeing V-22 team recently delivered its 400^th aircraft, a CV-22 for U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command.

The first production V-22 was delivered on May 24, 1999, and Wednesday's deliveries occur under the Multi-year Procurement III contract valued at $5 billion. That agreement, which runs through 2024, includes variants for the Marines, Air Force, and Navy, as well as the first international customer, Japan.

The V-22 takes off, hovers, and lands like a helicopter yet flies long distances like a turboprop aircraft. The CV-22 variant performs special operations missions, including infiltration, extraction, and resupply, that conventional aircraft can’t. The Marine Corps variant, the MV-22B, provides the safe and reliable transportation of personnel, supplies, and equipment for combat assault, assault support, and fleet logistics. The Navy variant, the CMV-22B, is the replacement for the C-2A Greyhound for the carrier onboard delivery mission.

The V-22 has accumulated more than 500,000 flight hours.

Department of Energy shopping for used Bell helicopter

The Department of Energy/Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) intends to procure a used Bell 407 helicopter, according to contract documents released Thursday. Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas, is the sole manufacturer of the Bell 407.

WAPA requires that the helicopter be manufactured in 2010 or newer and not exceed 1,000 flight hours, the Energy Department said in a Pre-Solicitation Notice released Thursday. The Bell 407 should be utility equipped with no damage history, high skid gear, rotor brake, and covered by a warranty for replacement and/or repair of defective components for a period of one year.

The contract solicitation will be available on or around May 10 with quotes due seven calendar days after release.

Navy orders Bell 407 helicopters to support production of Fire Scout

Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., intends to issue a definitive, commercial contract on a sole source basis to Bell Helicopter of Hurst, Texas, for the production and delivery of two Bell 407 analog helicopters with an option to buy three Bell 407 digital (GX) and/or analog helicopters as available. “This Bell 407 helicopter procurement will support production of the MQ-8C Fire Scout Endurance Upgrade Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS),” the Navy said in contract documents released Friday.

The Bell 407 helicopter was selected by Northrop Grumman Corp. for inclusion in the MQ-8C Fire Scout UAS design. “It is the only known system configuration that meets the minimum requirements for production of the MQ-8C Fire Scout,” the Navy said. “Bell Helicopter is the Original Equipment Manufacturer of the commercial Bell 407 helicopter and the only known supplier of the air vehicle.”