Safran is proud to announce the signing of the first 5Star Plans contract to support Arrius 2R engines operated by Bell 505 customers. This contract has been signed with the Bell Helicopter’s Training Academy that will operate two Bell 505 aircrafts.

5Star Plans is a new Safran Helicopter Engines support contract dedicated to customers operating up to five helicopters. It offers five different levels of services covering scheduled and unscheduled events, standard exchange, preferential engine pool access, warranty extension and (depending on customer profile and mission types) by-the-hour support.

Commented Franck Saudo, Safran Helicopter Engines EVP Support and Services, “We are very proud to offer our brand new 5Star Plans contract to Bell Helicopter Training Academy to cover the Arrius 2R. It is perfectly tailored to support their demanding training missions where maximizing aircraft availability is a key parameter. We will ensure Bell Helicopter Training Academy benefits from the best possible support”. 

“We are delighted to utilize Safran’s 5Star Plans for our Bell 505 aircraft at the Bell Helicopter Training Academy,” said Ray Lamas, General Manager, Global Customer Training at Bell Helicopter. “We have worked closely with Safran for entry into service in the smoothest possible way and our collaboration has been outstanding.” 

Launched at the 2013 Paris Air Show alongside the Bell 505, the Arrius 2R has followed a fast development schedule in tandem with the airframe. A rigorous evaluation campaign started in April 2014 with its first ground run. The flight test program began in November 2014 at Bell’s Mirabel facility. The 2R was EASA-certified in December 2015 and gained FAA type-certification in 2016.

Over the past months, Safran Helicopter Engines has put a great deal of effort into bringing the engine smoothly to market through extensive maturation tests. Features of the 2R include a robust and reliable architecture coupled with a dual-channel FADEC to improve safety and reduce pilot workload. The easy-to-use turbine requires fewer scheduled maintenance tasks and is accompanied by a comprehensive service offer, with the option of having Safran SBH (support-by-the-hour) cover included in the Bell protection plan.

To date, more than 3,150 Arrius engines have been delivered by Safran to 430 customers in 60 countries. Reliability is built into the 2R and reinforced by a 3,000 hour Time-Between-Overhaul offered at service entry. This new variant will also benefit from Safran’s renowned service and support capabilities.