Bell 525 Relentless, “relentless” in French, is a high-end American helicopter. The machine is 17 meters long and has a spacious cab of 8 m2. With four rows of seats, it can accommodate 16 passengers in maximum comfort and up to 20 passengers in the high-density version. Its maximum takeoff weight is just over 9 tons.
Equipped with two 2000 hp General Electric turboshaft engines. each and a five-blade main rotor, the Bell 525 has a cruising speed of 300 km/h. Its range is 1000 km. Originally designed to carry passengers to oil platforms, the aircraft can also be used for business travel or search and rescue missions.
Launched in 2012, the limousine helicopter made its first flight on July 1, 2015 over Amarillo, Texas. It was originally scheduled to enter service two years later, but a 2016 crash of one of the test aircraft and the deaths of two pilots delayed its sale. After the accident, helicopter manufacturer Bell had to make several modifications, in particular to the flight control system, to avoid amplifying the vibrations that caused the crash.
Certification of the Bell 525 by the American Civil Aviation Administration (FAA) is usually due this year. When it enters service, it will be the world’s first remote-controlled civilian helicopter.
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