Turbomeca Receives EASA Engine Type Certification For Arrius 2R

Turbomeca has received EASA engine type certification for its Arrius 2R engine that powers the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X.

“The Bell 505 is the first production Bell Helicopter to incorporate a Turbomeca engine,” said Turbomeca CEO Bruno Even in a statement Thursday.

“The next step for Bell Helicopter will be the certification of the aircraft in 2016, followed by deliveries to our customers,” said Matt Hasik, Executive Vice President Commercial Business, Bell Helicopter.

“Fifteen production engines have been shipped from Turbomeca USA in Grand Prairie, Texas, to the Bell Helicopter Lafayette facility in Louisiana,” said Jean-François Sauer, Vice President for Arriel & Arrius Programs.

Officially launched at the 2013 Paris Air Show alongside the Bell 505, the Arrius 2R has followed a fast development schedule. Evaluation has started in April 2014 with its first ground run. The flight test campaign started in November 2014 with the Bell 505’s first flight at Bell’s Mirabel facility in Canada. In August 2015, Turbomeca delivered the first production engine to the new Bell 505 assembly center in Lafayette, Louisiana.