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The Bell 407 is a four-blade, single-engine, civil utility helicopter; a derivative of the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger. The 407 uses the four-blade, soft-in-plane design rotor with composite hub developed for the United States Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior instead of the two-blade, semi-rigid, teetering, rotor of the 206L-4. The Bell 407 is frequently used for corporate and offshore transport, as an air ambulance, law enforcement, electronic news gathering and movie making. The Bell 417 was a variant of the Bell 407 based on the Bell ARH-70. ==Design and development== In 1993, Bell began the development of the New Light Aircraft as a replacement for its Model 206 series. The program resulted in the 407, a development of Bell's LongRanger.〔Frawley, Gerard. ''The International Directory of Civil Aircraft, 2003-2004'', p. 47. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003. ISBN 1-875671-58-7.〕 A 206L-3 LongRanger was modified to serve as the 407 demonstrator.〔 The demonstrator used hardware for the 407 and added molded fairings to represent the 407's wider fuselage then under development.〔 The demonstrator was first flown on April 21, 1994, and the 407 program was publicly announced at the Heli-Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January 1995.〔〔("Bell launches Model 407" ). ''Flight International'', February 8, 1995.〕 The first 407 prototype (C-GFOS) accomplished its maiden flight on June 29, 1995, and the second prototype (C-FORS) followed on July 13, 1995. After a short development program, the first production 407 (C-FWQY/N407BT) flew on November 10, 1995.〔 The Bell 407 features the four-blade main rotor developed for the OH-58D (Model 406). The blades and hub use composite construction without life limits, and provide better performance and a more comfortable ride. The 407's fuselage is 8 inches (18 cm) wider, increasing internal cabin space, and includes main cabin windows that are 35% larger. The more powerful Rolls-Royce/Allison 250-C47 turboshaft allows an increase in Maximum Takeoff Weight and improves performance at hotter temperatures and/or higher altitudes.〔 The 407's airframe is generally similar to the LongRanger, but includes a carbon fiber composite tailboom. The helicopter has standard seating for two crew and five cabin seats.〔"Bell 407". ''Jane's Helicopter Markets and Systems''. Couldson, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2010. (subscription article, posted April 13, 2010 ).〕 The 407 was certificated by Transport Canada on February 9, 1996, with the FAA following shortly after on February 23.〔〔("Bell Helicopter 407" ). Flug Revue, March 19, 2001.〕 Full production began in 1996 at Bell's Mirabel, Quebec, Canada plant and produced 140 airframes in 1997, to fill the initial orders.〔 In 1995, Bell tested a shrouded tail rotor on the 407,〔 but did not proceed. For a time, Bell studied developing the ''Model 407T'' twin-engine variant, but instead chose to develop the essentially all new twin PW206D powered Bell 427.〔 Bell began deliveries of the 407 in 1996. The 1,000th helicopter was delivered on June 15, 2010.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bell 407」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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