Bell Helicopter, founded in 1935 in the United States, was first introduced to China in 1980, a well-known manufacturer of commercial helicopters in the world, and a pioneer in the development of tiltrotor aircraft
Bell Helicopter was founded in July 1935, formerly known as Bell Aircraft Company, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The company has developed a variety of fighter jets in the early days, and has also successfully developed the world's first aircraft that can break through the speed of sound in level flight, the Bell X-1. Currently, Bell Helicopter's production base for civilian products is located in the Montreal area of Canada.
In 1946, the Bell 47 became the first helicopter in the world to have a commercial type certificate. After more than 70 years of innovation and development, Bell Helicopter has become a world leader in the manufacture of commercial helicopters and a pioneer in the development of tiltrotors. With more than 35,000 Bell Helicopters delivered to customers in more than 120 countries around the world, Bell Helicopters has earned widespread praise for its reliability, excellent service and high value. The approximately 13,000 Bell Helicopters still in service account for more than 50% of the global civilian helicopter market.
Bell Helicopter's civilian range of products meets a wide range of practical requirements in many industrial sectors. From medical rescue to policing applications, Bell Helicopter offers reliability and safety unmatched by other manufacturers. In a wide range of industries, whether it is offshore platform applications, long-distance transportation, news broadcasting, on-site reporting, fire fighting, anti-terrorism and riot control, pipeline patrols, or the transportation of important personnel, Bell Helicopters can do the job well.
While continuously improving the performance and reliability of existing products, Bell Helicopter is always looking for the future. Its tiltrotor technology has been tested in actual combat, its military products have begun to equip the US military in large quantities, and its civilian model BA 609 will also enter the commercial certification stage. Tiltrotor aircraft with cruising speeds of more than 500 kilometers per hour, ranges of 1,400 kilometers or more, cruising altitudes close to 8,000 meters and the absence of airport runways will have a huge impact on the future helicopter, regional and commercial aviation markets.
Bell Helicopter in China
Bell has been operating in China for nearly 30 years since it was first introduced in 1980. By the end of 2010, the fleet reached 23 aircraft. Clients include China Eastern General Airlines, Shanxi Provincial Public Security Department, China Civil Aviation Flight Academy, Yuanda Air Conditioning Company, State Grid General Aviation Co., Ltd., Yunnan General Aviation Company and a number of private users.
The authoritative American magazine "Professional Pilot" has conducted a survey on the after-sales service and maintenance of helicopters around the world (including Chinese helicopter users) for 17 consecutive years, and ranked each helicopter manufacturer. Bell Helicopter has topped the rankings for all seventeen years.
At present, since the introduction of the Bell 206 helicopter in 1985, the Civil Aviation Flight Institute of China in Guanghan, Sichuan Province has been able to carry out all the overhauls (except the engine) of the Bell single-engine series of helicopters; Since the introduction of Bell 212 helicopters in 1979, Tianjin Eastern General Aviation Company has been able to carry out most of the overhaul (except engine) of Bell 212/412 series helicopters; At the same time, Bell has re-established its Beijing office and will open an authorized repair station in China in the near third quarter of 2011. Bell has more than $30 million worth of spare parts in its spare parts inventory in Singapore to meet the needs of customers in China and the Asia-Pacific region. Bell Helicopter's engine manufacturers, Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney Canada, have also partnered with Bell Helicopter to establish an overhaul base in Singapore to serve customers in China and the Asia-Pacific region.
Bell hopes to use the safest and most reliable products, the lowest maintenance and use costs, the best after-sales service, the most complete training system and the most abundant application experience to help Chinese customers continuously improve the application level and safety record of helicopters, so as to promote the overall development of China's economy.
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. ("Bell Helicopter") is a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc. Bell Helicopter is a separate legal entity and a member of the Textron Group.
