Honeywell announces HTS900 engine upgrade for Bell 407 operators

Honeywell announced today that it has teamed with Eagle Copters of Calgary, Alberta, to offer an HTS900 engine upgrade for the Bell 407 helicopter, called the Eagle 407 HP.

“Eagle 407 HP operators are going to see a big difference, especially flying cargo high or hot, because of a 26 percent increase in shaft horsepower,” said Carl Esposito, vice president, Marketing & Product Management, Honeywell Aerospace. “The HTS900 fills the Bell transmission with power up to 14,500 feet.”

The new Eagle 407 HP, using design and engineering licensed from Bell Helicopter, will provide operators up to a 40 percent increase in Hover-Out-of-Ground-Effect (HOGE) performance at International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) +20°C conditions, while delivering a 10 percent reduction in fuel consumption. The increased altitude payload allows for full onboard mission equipment and fuel capacity, allowing mission completion without repeat flights.

“The Eagle 407 HP transforms the Bell 407 into a real high-hot performer,” said Mike O’Reilly, president of Eagle Copters. “Using Bell Helicopter design and engineering adds an enormous credibility to the design.”

The Honeywell HTS900 engine is a new type of engine design that provides superior performance in high, hot conditions, fuel efficiency and operating costs. New technologies include a dual centrifugal compressor, cooled single-crystal turbine blades, effusion cooled combustor liner, and a dual-channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC).

“The HTS900 engine delivers more than 1,000 Shaft Horsepower (SHP) and the lowest fuel consumption and highest power-to-weight ratio of any engine in its class,” said Esposito. “The HTS900 upgrade delivers 10 percent lower fuel burn and on-condition maintenance with no hard time overhaul limits, achieving a 10 percent lower operating cost.”

Honeywell offers a full range of helicopter equipment, from aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and other mechanical systems to the Zing Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS). Honeywell's safety systems for helicopters address the challenges of traffic, terrain and weather, helping to ensure safe flight and guard against Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), weather related hazards, and collisions with obstacles and other aircraft.

Source: Honeywell