Bell 427

About the Bell 427

The Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Bell 427 is a twin-engine light utility rotorcraft equipped with a main rotor and tail rotor system. Certified for a total capacity of eight occupants including a two-person crew, it is designed to suit multirole utility assignments and passenger transport.

Developed in partnership between North American and South Korean aerospace companies, the aircraft was the manufacturer's first rotorcraft designed entirely on computer, achieving its maiden flight before the turn of the millennium. Production duties were split internationally, with flight dynamics systems and final assembly handled in North America while the fuselage and tailboom were constructed overseas. Although a subsequent glass-cockpit variant was planned, the program was eventually canceled in favor of a newer successor.