Bell 412

The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. It is a twin-turbine helicopter that has been popular on the civilian and military markets, and major users include Canada, Italy, and Japan. Several hundred have been produced since its introduction in 1979, and several iterations of upgrades and variations have been produced, such as with upgraded cockpit electronics.

It has been manufactured under license in Italy as the Agusta-Bell AB412, in Indonesia by Indonesian Aerospace, and in Japan by Subaru. The Canadian Bell 412 was produced in Canada, but it was already the location of the main Bell Textron factory.

Design and development

Development began in the late 1970s, with two Bell 212s being converted into 412 prototypes. An advanced four-blade main rotor with a smaller diameter replaced the 212's two-blade rotor. A Bell 412 prototype first flew in August 1979. The initial model was certified in January 1981, with deliveries commencing in the same month. The 412 model was followed by the 412SP (Special Performance) version, which featured a larger fuel capacity, a higher takeoff weight, and optional seating arrangements. In 1991, the 412HP (High Performance) variant with improved transmission replaced the SP version in production.

In the early 2000s, Bell offered the Bell 412EP as its Bell 412 LUH entrant in the U.S. Army Light Utility Helicopter program, where it competed against several other light helicopters for an order.

The current production version, 412EP (Enhanced Performance), is equipped with a dual digital automatic flight control system. In 2013, Bell introduced the 412EPI, which includes an electronic (digital) engine control for a PT6T-9 engine upgrade and a glass cockpit display system similar to the Bell model 429. Also featured is a Garmin touchscreen navigation system, and the BLR Strake and Fast Fin upgrades for improved hover performance.
Over 700 Model 412s (including 260 by AgustaWestland) have been built.Bell/Agusta Bell 412 – Medium Transport Helicopter, USA/Italy
, Aerospace-Technology.com

The helicopter is powered by the Pratt and Whitney Canada twin-pack power plant with two turboshaft engines and has achieved the lowest in-flight shut-down rate of aircraft turboshaft engines. If one engine is shut down, a single engine can produce emergency power for 30 minutes.

The aircraft has been produced in Montreal, Canada, in Italy under license by Agusta, in Indonesia by Indonesian Aerospace, and also in Japan by Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries). The Bell 412 was also initially manufactured in Texas, USA.

The emergency medical configuration can carry 6 patients/wounded and two attendants, or two stretchers and up to four attendants.

By 2022, over 1300 Bell 412 helicopters had been delivered.

Variants

;Bell 412
:Standard Model with P&WC PT6T-3B
;: Special Performance version with P&WC PT6T-3BF engines
;Bell 412HP
:High performance version with P&WC PT6T-3BG or -3D engines
;Bell 412CF ( CH-146 Griffon)
:100 custom-built utility transport helicopters for the Canadian Forces, based on 412EP and designated by Bell as 412CF
;: Enhanced performance version with P&WC PT6T-3DF engines
;Bell 412EPI
:Glass cockpit version with P&WC PT6T-9 electronic controlled engines
;Bell Griffin HT1
:Advanced training helicopter based on the Bell 412EP, operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) between 1997 and 2018 as an advanced flying trainer. Operated by the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury and the Search and Rescue Training Unit at RAF Valley.
;Bell Griffin HAR2
:Search and Rescue helicopter based on the Bell 412EP, operated by No. 84 Squadron RAF between 2003 and 2023 at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
;Agusta-Bell AB 412
:Civil utility transport version, built under license in Italy by Agusta.. Vectorsite.net, 1 December 2007.
;Agusta-Bell AB 412EP
:Italian-built version of the Bell 412EP.
;Agusta-Bell AB 412 Grifone
:Military utility transport version, built under licence in Italy by Agusta.

;Agusta-Bell AB 412 CRESO
:Italian-built version, fitted with a ground surveillance radar.
;Bell 412 LUH
:Entry for the U.S. Army Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) program. Lost to the EC145 entry (see UH-72 Lakota)
;NBell 412
: Indonesian Aerospace's (formerly IPTN) licensed product of Bell 412.
;Subaru-Bell UH-2 (Formerly known as UH-X)
:Modified version of the Bell 412 EPI; 150 on order to meet the JGSDF's requirement for a UH-1J replacement.
;Subaru-Bell 412EPX
:Commercial version of UH-X.
;H.1B
:() Royal Thai Armed Forces designation for the Bell 412.
;H.1C
:() Royal Thai Armed Forces designation for the Bell 412(HP)SP.
;H.1E
:() Royal Thai Armed Forces designation for the Bell 412EP.
;H.LL.2
:() Royal Thai Navy designation for the Bell 412.

Operators

The Bell 412 is used by private and commercial operators. It is particularly popular in the oil industries, military, law enforcement, and for medevac use. Around 2022-23, the unit cost for a 412EPX model was between US$14.5 million and US$16 million.

Military operators

;Algeria: Algerian Air Force
;Argentina: Argentine Air Force
;Australia: Australian Army : 2 under lease at Army Aviation Training Center.
;Azerbaijan: Azerbaijani Air Force
;Bahrain: Bahraini Air Force
;Botswana: Botswana Defence Force
;Cameroon: Cameroon Air Force

;Canada: Royal Canadian Air Force
: 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (''3e École de pilotage des Forces canadiennes'')
:
;Chile: Chilean Air Force
;Colombia: Colombian Navy
;Cyprus: Cypriot National Guard
;El Salvador: Air Force of El Salvador
;Eritrea: Eritrean Air Force

;Ghana: Ghana Air Force
;Guatemala: Guatemalan Air Force
;Guyana: Guyana Defence Force
;Honduras: Honduran Air Force
;Indonesia: Indonesian Army
:Indonesian Navy
;Italy: Italian Army
;Iraq: 412M on order.
;Jamaica: Jamaica Defence Force

;Japan: Japan Ground Self Defence Force
;Lesotho: Lesotho Defence Force

;Mexico: Mexican Air Force
;Montenegro: Montenegrin Air Force
;Morocco: Moroccan Navy
;Nigeria: Nigerian Air Force
;Norway: Royal Norwegian Air Force
;Pakistan: Pakistan Air Force
:Pakistan Army

;Panama: National Aeronaval Service of Panama
;Peru: Peruvian Air Force
:Peruvian Navy
;Philippines: Philippine Air Force - 7 Units Active out of 13 in Inventory in 2024.
;Saudi Arabia: Royal Saudi Air Force
;Slovenia: Slovenian Air Force
;Somalia: Somali Air Force

;South Korea: South Korean Air Force
;Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Air Force
;Tanzania: Tanzania People's Defense Force

;Thailand: Royal Thai Air Force
;Tunisia: Tunisian Air Force
;Turkey: Turkish Coast Guard
;United Arab Emirates: United Arab Emirates Air Force
;Uruguay: Uruguayan Navy
;Venezuela: Venezuelan Army
: Venezuelan Navy
;Zimbabwe: Air Force of Zimbabwe

Government operators

;Australia: Department of Fire and Emergency Services
: Emergency Management Queensland
:New South Wales Police Force
: New South Wales Rural Fire Service
: SAAS MedSTAR Retrieval Service
;Brazil: Federal Police
;Canada: Canadian Coast Guard
: National Research Council
: Surete du Quebec
;Colombia: National Police of Colombia
;Croatia: Croatian Ministry of Interior

;Czech Republic: Police of the Czech Republic
;Finland: Finnish Border Guard
;Indonesia: Indonesian National Police
;Iran: Iranian Red Crescent Society

;Italy: Guardia di Finanza
: State Forestry Corps
;Japan: Japan Coast Guard
: Tokyo Metropolitan Police

;South Korea: Coast Guard
;Slovenia: Slovenian National Police
;United States: Chicago Fire Department
: Delaware State Police
:Los Angeles Police Department
: Los Angeles County Fire Department
: Miami-Dade County Fire Department
: New York Police Department
: Orange County Fire Authority
: San Diego Fire Department
: United States Park Police
: Ventura County Fire Department
: Virginia State Police

Former

;Netherlands: Royal Netherlands Air Force. AB412 helicopters retired from SAR duties in 2015.
;Poland: Polish Air Force, 1 412HP used 1993–2011
;United States: Los Angeles Fire Department
;Uganda: Uganda Air Force
;United Kingdom: Royal Air Force

Incidents and accidents

* On April 4, 1991, a Bell 412SP collided in mid-air with a Piper Aerostar over Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, during an improvised attempt to inspect the Aerostar's landing gear. The accident killed all five people on both aircraft, including United States senator John Heinz, along with two children on the ground. The collision was attributed to poor judgment by the pilots of both aircraft.
* On December 10, 2006, Bell 412SP medical helicopter Mercy Air 2 crashed in mountainous terrain near Hesperia, California. All three crew members on board died. The accident was attributed to controlled flight into terrain in low visibility.
* On December 7, 2023, a Bell 412EP operated by the Guyanese military went down carrying 2 crew and 5 senior officers at the border between Venezuela and Guyana during bad weather.

Specifications (412EP)

See also

References

Citations

Sources

*
* Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". ''Flight International'', Vol. 180, No. 5321, 13–19 December 2011. pp. 26–52.

External links

Bell Helicopter 412EP official page

{{JSDF aircraft designations

1980s United States helicopters
1980s United States civil utility aircraft
1980s Canadian helicopters
Twin-turbine helicopters
Aircraft first flown in 1979
412
Single-rotor helicopters
1980s Canadian civil utility aircraft
Aircraft with skid landing gear