Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), announced today at Helitech International 2013 a signed agreement with Avincis Group for the sale of up to 20 helicopters comprised of the Bell 429, Bell412 and Bell 412EPI aircraft, largely for use in Life & Rescue operations.

“We’re delighted to be able to further develop our long-standing relationship with Bell H elicopter with the purchase of these aircraft, supported by their exceptional after-market service. These aircraft will help us to save more lives as we grow our global business,” said James Drummond, CEO of Avincis Group.
Avincis Group is the world’s leading provider of aerial services for mission-critical operations such as medical emergency, civil protection, search and rescue, coast and city surveillance, firefighting and energy support services. The company operates more than 350 aircraft around the world and flew more than 50,600 emergency healthcare missions last year alone

“This agreement represents a significant milestone in the long and successful partnership between Avincis and Bell Helicopter. Once again, we are honored to be an important part of Avincis’ future global growth,” said John Garrison, Bell Helicopter’s CEO. “The Bell 429 is becoming the new standard in the light twin engine helicopter air ambulance segment as we continue to expand our customer base across Europe and around the world.”

One of the most advanced light twin helicopters ever developed, the Bell 429 delivers exceptional speed, range and hover performance, as well as comfort and cost management unmatched by any other aircraft in its category. Equipped with a fully-integrated glass cockpit, advanced drive system and best-in-class WAAS navigation and IFR capability, the Bell 429 offers air medical operators exceptional flight performance. Additional safety features include a collective mounted throttle, damage tolerant hub and rotor system, and energy attenuating seats. A spacious cabin with a flat floor, wide 157 cm (62 in.) side doors and optional rear clam-shell doors provide quick, easy access for patient loading and unloading.

The Bell 412 features a 220 ft3 cabin, seating thirteen passengers and two crew members. It is certified for single pilot IFR with a Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3D Twin Pac® engine. The Bell 412EPI offers a rugged airframe built with safety in mind, upgraded engines and the Bell BasiX Pro™ Integrated Avionics System, which includes four 10.4″ high resolution LCD primary/multi-function display units for vital flight information in an easy-to-scan layout. This system is specifically designed to meet the requirements of twin-engine helicopters and is optimized for IFR, Category A and JAR OPS3 compliant operations. The Bell 412EPI avionics suite also includes high resolution digital maps, electronic charts and approach plates, ADS-B transponder and optional HTAWS and XM satellite links.