TenCate Advanced Composites, a leading supplier of advanced composite materials for aerospace and industrial applications, has begun production of compression molded parts for the Bell 525 Relentless helicopter program. On July 1st, this program achieved its first flight. At the current time, there are approximately a dozen parts per aircraft in applications ranging from access doors to engine compartment walls.

Compression molded composite parts provide producer Bell Helicopter with high grade, lightweight and cost saving materials that allow fabrication of complex parts in one efficient molding cycle. The chopped carbon fiber parts build upon Bell Helicopter’s experience from several leading edge defense applications, including the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor program.

Matt Cano, Director of Sales at TenCate Advanced Composites in Fairfield, California, United States of America states: “This is a good example of how an industry leader like Bell Helicopter utilizes compression molded parts to achieve cost savings on military programs, and developed an expertise which was able to cross over into civil programs.”

The Bell 525 Relentless represents the world’s first fly by wire commercial helicopter and features a touchscreen glass cockpit. This helicopter is designed to accommodate 16 passengers and two crew members and can be configured for a variety of mission needs.