The Bell 427 first flew on December 11, 1997. Pultec Equalizer Schematic. Canadian certification was awarded on November 19, 1999, followed by US certification in January 2000, and US FAA dual pilot IFR certification in May 2000. Bell builds the 427's flight dynamics systems at Fort Worth, Texas, while final assembly is performed at Bell's Mirabel,. PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS JANUARY 2005. The Approved Rotorcraft Flight Manual. Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Bell 206B3, 206L-4, 407, 427, 430, 412, 609.

The Bell 427 is a twin engine, multirole, light utility helicopter designed and manufactured by the Bell Helicopter Textron Company, US and Samsung Aerospace Industries, South Korea. The aircraft is principally used for passenger transportation and aero-medical evacuations, and was built to replace the earlier Bell 206LT twin-ranger helicopter.

The Bell 427 is the first aircraft in the Bell fleet to be designed completely on a computer, using CATIA 3D modelling. The final assembly took place at Bell’s Mirabel Quebec facility, and the aircraft was officially unveiled in February 1996 at Heli Expo in Dallas, US.

The maiden flight of the Bell 427 took place on 11 December 1997. The aircraft obtained Canadian certification on 19 November 1999 and US certification was received in January 2000. It entered service in 2000.

Bell 427 variants The Bell 427 has a single variant, the Bell 427i (now known as the Bell 429), which is an improved version of the Bell 427. It was developed jointly by Korean Aerospace Industries and Mitsui Bussan Aerospace in 2004, and features an advanced glass cockpit and navigation systems facilitating single-pilot flying under instrument flight rules (IFR). The fuselage length of the Bell 427i has been increased by 0.36m, and it incorporates a powerful engine and transmission system. “The Bell 427 is the first aircraft in the Bell fleet to be designed completely on a computer, using CATIA 3D modelling.” Orders and deliveries The company received 22 orders for Bell 427 helicopters at the 1996 Farnborough Air Show in the UK, and 85 aircraft had been ordered by 50 customers worldwide by 2000. Five were sold to CitiAir in South Korea by Samsung Aerospace Industries, and the first deliveries began in January 2000. Deliveries include five in 2000, 15 in 2001 and a further five in 2002. Other customers of the Bell 427 include Khalifa Airways of Algeria and Elbit Systems.