Bell 525 Relentless Makes First Flight

Stephen Pope

Thursday, July 02, 2015 at 06:23 PM ET

Verified

Bell 525 Relentless Bell Helicopter

Key Takeaways:

Bell Helicopter's new 525 Relentless, its largest and most capable civil model, successfully completed its first test flight in Amarillo, Texas.
The helicopter features the industry's first triple-redundant fly-by-wire flight controls and sidesticks, performing well despite challenging wind conditions during the test.
The medium-lift aircraft is projected to cruise at 155 knots, carry up to 20 passengers, and has already received over 60 orders, with certification anticipated within a year.

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Bell Helicopter test pilots flew the new fly-by-wire 525 Relentless turbine twin for the first time yesterday at the company production center in Amarillo, Texas, officially christening the helicopter maker’s biggest and most capable civil model.

The pilots evaluated the 525’s hover and low-speed handling capabilities during the test flight, which was made slightly more challenging by a buffeting 20-knot wind. The Relentless is the first helicopter equipped with triple-redundant fly-by-wire flight controls and sidesticks. Despite the strong wind, the 525 was said to perform well.