Turbomeca Delivered First Production Arrius 2R to Bell Helicopter

Turbomeca (Safran) delivered the first production Arrius 2R engine to Bell Helicopter in August 2015, on schedule. Selected to power the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, the Arrius 2R is the only turbine in the 500 shp range to feature a dual-channel FADEC. With seven million flight hours already logged by Arrius variants, the 2R will also offer an unmatched level of maturity at entry-into-service.

The handover to Bell Helicopter happened at the new Bell 505 assembly center in Lafayette, Louisiana and marks a major step in the Arrius 2R program. It confirms Turbomeca’s commitment to delivering best-in-class engine solutions on time.

Jean-François Sauer, Arrius 2R Program Vice President, said: “We are perfectly on track to meet Bell Helicopter’s expectations, and moving at a steady pace towards EASA engine certification by the end of 2015. Delivering on the Arrius 2R program is among Turbomeca’s top priorities.”

Launched in 2013, the Arrius 2R is following a fast development schedule that has successfully passed on schedule all its milestones, among which first ground run (April 2014) at the company’s Bordes factory, and a first flight aboard the Bell 505 at Bell Helicopter’s Mirabel facility in November 2014.

The Arrius 2R is designed to deliver performance and power within the 500 shp range, while improving safety and lowering pilot workload via the FADEC. Its twin-module configuration offers low maintenance and operating costs.

Further production Arrius 2R will be assembled at Turbomeca USA’s facility in Dallas, Texas and integrated in Lafayette, Louisiana.

To date, more than 3,000 Arrius engines have been sold by Turbomeca, 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. The new variant will also benefit from Turbomeca’s renowned service and support capabilities.

More than 350 letters of intent have already been signed for the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X.

Turbomeca (Safran) is the leading helicopter engine manufacturer and, since its foundation in 1938, has produced over 72,000 turbines. Turbomeca offers the widest range of helicopter engines in the world and has more than 2,500 customers in 155 countries. Turbomeca has 15 sites and operates on each continent, providing its customers with a proximity service through 36 distributors and certified maintenance centers, 18 Repair & Overhaul Centers, and 90 Field Representatives and Field Technicians. Turbomeca subsidiary Microturbo is the leading European manufacturer of turbojet engines for missiles, drones and auxiliary power units.