The Bell 407 and 206B helicopters are to receive engine upgrades from the Honeywell-Eagle Copters team and Rolls-Royce respectively.

Honeywell and Eagle Copters have partnered to offer an HTS900 engine upgrade for the 407 to produce a new helicopter to be called the Eagle 407HP.

Bell’s 206B JetRanger will also be retrofitted with a Rolls-Royce RR500TS, according to a new memorandum of association replacing the existing M250.

The HTS900 engine features a dual centrifugal compressor, cooled single-crystal turbine blades, effusion-cooled combustor liner and dual-channel full authority digital engine control (FADEC).

The RR500 core, a growth version of the RR300, provides enhanced power with flat rating capability, and features ruggedised components and extended overhaul intervals.

Upgraded Eagle 407HPs will provide up to a 40% increase in hover-out-of-ground-effect (HOGE) performance at international standard atmosphere (ISA) +20°C conditions and reduce fuel consumption by 10%.

Honeywell marketing and product management vice-president Carl Esposito said that Eagle 407HP operators would see a big difference, especially flying cargo high or hot, because of a 26% increase in shaft horsepower.

Increased altitude payload will allow for full onboard mission equipment and fuel capacity and enable missions without repeat flights.

The RR500TS engine is due to be certified in 2011 before being fitted to the five-seat, light turbine helicopter used in corporate, utility, law enforcement and homeland security missions.

Rolls-Royce and Bell will jointly evaluate third party suppliers to develop RR500TS supplemental type certificate (STC) retrofit kits.