Honeywell has signed a deal to provide ten HTS900 helicopter engines to Canada's Eagle Copters throughout the year.

The order includes two engines from a previous order, which are expected to be delivered by the second quarter of this year. The two companies have launched a programme called Eagle 407HP to improve performance of the existing Bell 407 helicopters.

The partnership will use design and engineering licence from Bell Helicopter and replace the standard engine on Bell 407 with the Honeywell HTS900 engine.

Designed to accommodate an additional payload of 500lb, the HTS900 engines will offer improved dash speed and 12% lower maintenance costs compared with the original engines installed on Bell 407 helicopters.

The HTS900 engines also consumes 17% less fuel than the standard engine and offer 22% additional shaft horsepower, making it suitable for lifting heavy loads under hot-and-high flying conditions.

"We’ll be ready to meet our customers’ needs and deliver a more capable helicopter that can help them accomplish their missions."

Eagle Copters technical sales vice-president David Whiting said: “Demand for our Eagle 407HP conversions is growing.

“We have already completed eight conversions, have more in the pipeline, and are in regular conversation with other operators looking to upgrade their fleets either by converting their existing Bell 407 or acquiring a new Eagle 407HP from Eagle Copters.

"With this new order of Honeywell engines, we’ll be ready to meet our customers’ needs and deliver a more capable helicopter that can help them accomplish their missions."

In addition, the HTS900 features various new technologies, which include a dual centrifugal compressor, cooled single-crystal turbine blades, and an effusion-cooled combustor liner, as well as a dual-channel, full authority digital engine control.