GE Aviation's CT7-2F1 engine, which powers the Bell 525 Relentless, has received certification from the FAA. The CT7-2F1 powerplant incorporates the full heritage GE's CT7/T700 engine family, which has notched up more than 100 million flight hours on civil and military turboshaft and turboprop aircraft. The 2000 SHP-class turboshaft will provide the Bell 525 Relentless with up to 2,129 SHP for emergencies and 1,979 SHP for takeoff.

The Bell 525 programme has already accumulated more than 1,000 flight hours and over 1,350 hours of total turn time. The FAA joined the Bell 525 flight test team in November 2018 and is now actively involved in certification flight testing in Yellowknife, Canada and the recent completion of snow testing certification in Rome, New York.

The final Bell 525 flight test vehicle is currently in Amarillo, Texas finalising ground-based certification testing and is scheduled to fly at the end of March 2019.

“The last month has been the most successful to date, in terms of completion of certification milestones for the Bell 525 programme,” says VP Byron Ward. “FAA certification for the aircraft's engine is another major achievement, and we are that much closer to bringing the most advanced helicopter to market.”

The CT7-2F1 features a high pressure turbine, engine electronic control unit and a health and usage monitoring system (HUMS). The Bell 525 Relentless is designed to support customers in various mission configurations including oil and gas, SAR, HEMS and VIP/corporate transport.

“Achieving FAA certification is a great accomplishment for the CT7-2F1 programme and the dedicated team involved,” comments GE Aviation executive product manager Elissa Lee. “We are proud to support the Bell 525 Relentless with an engine designed to meet its performance objectives.”

Once operational, the CT7-2F1 engine will be supported by GE's TrueChoice Flight Hour, a comprehensive service offering for maintaining commercial helicopter operations. TrueChoice Flight Hour is tailored to meet the business and financial objectives of operators and to help optimise cost of ownership over the entire lifecycle.