Canada’s aerospace sector workers to benefit from two-year contract to the Philippines (photo : Mark Kyst)

30.03.2014 Defense Studies

Export Win for Canadian Aerospace Company

The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, today announced that Canada has signed a US$105-million contract with the Philippines to supply eight specialized helicopters manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd.

The contract was negotiated under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Canadian Commercial Corporation and the Philippines’ Department of National Defense. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the MOU during his visit to the Philippines in November 2012.

Facilitated by the Canadian Commercial Corporation, the Government of Canada’s international government-to-government contracting organization, the eight helicopters will be manufactured at Bell Helicopter’s Mirabel, Quebec, plant over the next two years, solidifying Quebec’s reputation for excellence in aircraft manufacturing and services.

Aerospace is a priority sector under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan.

Quick Facts

As one of Canada’s largest exporters, the Canadian aerospace industry exports nearly 80 percent of its products.

Canadian exports of aircraft, aircraft engines and aircraft parts reached a near-record high of $10.8 billion in 2013, a 5.4 percent increase from the year before.

Canada’s aerospace industry comprises more than 700 companies of all sizes from coast to coast and employs more than 170,000 Canadians.

In 2012-13, the Canadian Commercial Corporation was active in 72 countries with more than 210 Canadian companies, signing contracts worth approximately $1 billion.

Barry Kohler, President of Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Ltd :

“For 28 years, Bell Helicopter has been the only domestic helicopter original-equipment manufacturer in Canada. Our 2,000 employees have produced over 4,300 helicopters at our Mirabel facility and have been a crucial part of both Bell’s commercial manufacturing strategy and the Canadian aerospace industry. We appreciate the Government of Canada’s assistance in supporting our export opportunities and winning this contract.”
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(Government of Canada)

Sep 11, 2013 ASDNews Source : Textron Inc

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), is pleased to announce it has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Army valued at more than $61 million to supply 12 new metal OH-58D Kiowa Warrior cabins and 12 supplemental parts kits. The new metal cabins will be manufactured at Bell Helicopter's facility in Amarillo, Texas with deliveries to begin January 2015.

"This agreement is a significant milestone in the Kiowa Warrior's legacy, proving the Army's continued confidence in the OH-58 aircraft. With its remarkable record for reliability and our continuous improvement roadmap, the OH-58 will continue to meet the needs of the Army for many years to come," said Mike Miller, director of Military Business Development at Bell Helicopter.

The OH-58 has been in continuous use by the U.S. Army, flying more than 836,000 combat hours with the highest readiness and highest OPTEMPO in the Army fleet. During a program update last April at the 2013 Army Aviation Association of America's Annual Professional Forum and Exposition, Bell Helicopter shared that the OH-58 consistently ranks as the Army's most affordable combat aircraft. Combining new metal cabins with the ongoing cockpit and sensor upgrade program will enhance the capabilities of this proven workhorse while also extending its service life.

Jun. 6, 2013 by Dave Majumdar – FG

Washington DC - Bell Helicopter says that its V-280 Valor third-generation tiltrotor design has been selected by the US Army for its Joint Multi-Role technology demonstrator (JMR-TD) programme.

"The V-280 Valor will provide the army's most sought-after capability, with a cruise speed of 280kt [519km/h]," says Keith Flail, director of Bell's future vertical lift effort. The service hopes to develop an aircraft that can achieve a cruise speed of at least 230kt for the JMR-TD effort and its follow-on Future Vertical Lift programme.

Flail says the V-280 improves on the technology found in the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey and is being designed to provide "outstanding" low-speed agility, multiple-g high-speed manoeuverability, superior fuel efficiency and improved range capabilities. Much of the aircraft's handling characteristics will be due to a new triple redundant fly-by-wire system that Bell hopes to incorporate into the machine.

The aircraft is also being designed to hover out of ground effect at a pressure altitude of 1,830m (6,000ft) at an ambient temperature of 35˚C (95˚F). Bell claims the V-280 will cruise at speeds of 280kt true airspeed and have a combat range of between 500nm (926km) and 800nm. It should also be able to self-deploy over a distance of 2,100nm.

Flail also claims the aircraft will have improved reliability and reduced costs, because the new clean sheet design reduces complexity compared to previous generation tiltrotors.

Bell's main competitor during the JMR-TD programme is expected to be a team consisting of Sikorsky and Boeing, which was its partner on the V-22. The two companies are pitching a high-speed compound helicopter design based on Sikorsky's self-funded X2 prototype for the army technolody demonstrator effort.

“The Sikorsky Boeing team is extremely pleased to have been invited by the US Army to negotiate a technology investment agreement for the Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator Phase I programme,” the two companies say. “Our team brings a shared commitment to invest in next-generation rotorcraft technology based on Sikorsky’s X2 rigid rotor coaxial design.” Meanwhile, EADS North America recently told the army that it will drop out of the programme.

The army is expected to award JMR-TD contracts by September 2013, with first flights scheduled for 2017. The programme is expected to inform the Future Vertical Lift programme, which aspires to field a new medium-lift high-speed rotorcraft design to replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk series in the 2030s. It could also spawn an effort to replace the Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopter. That market could be worth as much as $100 billion, according to Bell.