Jet Aviation Australia delivers Bell 429s to NSW police; Modernised Ka-226T passes maiden flight

Jet Aviation Australia announced the successful delivery of three Bell 429 aircraft for the New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF). The aircraft are part of the NSWPF’s new fleet of future light helicopters commissioned in 2019. In partnership with Bell, Jet Aviation’s design engineering team in Australia completed the integration and commissioning of the mission system for the latest three Bell 429 additions to the NSWPF fleet. All three aircraft were fitted with the latest technology and advanced integration systems, including FLIR 380HDc cameras for which Jet Aviation is the regional representative in Australia. The three new Bell 429 aircraft will be used to support the New South Wales Police Force as part of the patrols, search and rescue, surveillance, and specialist operations across the state. “We were honoured to win the tender in 2019 and excited to meet the challenging delivery schedule,” said Mathew Hardy, general manager of helicopter sales and support for Jet Aviation Australia. “I am incredibly proud of the team for successfully completing the modifications and delivering the aircraft on time — despite the additional challenges faced during the Covid19 pandemic. This achievement is a credit to the team and really speaks to the breadth of their skills and capabilities.” Jet Aviation is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) with some 4,000 employees and 50 locations worldwide. Jet Aviation’s offerings include aircraft management, aircraft sales, charter, completions, defence, FBO, maintenance and staffing. Modernised Ka-226T completed maiden flight The modernised Ka-226T light helicopter, which is being developed by the Russian Helicopters Holding Company (a part of Rostec State Corporation), began flight tests and completed its maiden flight at the flight-testing complex of the National Helicopter Centre Mil and Kamov. This is the first Russian helicopter, the design documentation of which was fully digitalised. Andrey Boginsky, Director General of Russian Helicopters Holding Company, reported on the progress of the Ka-226T light helicopter modernisation project during a working meeting with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. For the first time, the upgraded helicopter was presented at the international aerospace show MAKS-2021. “The modernised Ka-226T is the first helicopter in Russia to be manufactured according to digital design documentation. This initiative made it possible to significantly reduce time for building the machine and to start flight tests in a short time. At the end of this week, the updated Ka-226T will debut at international exhibitions as part of Dubai Airshow 2021, and we are confident that it will arouse genuine interest among foreign customers due to its excellent flight performance, allowing it to operate at altitudes up to 6.5 kilometres, versatility, convenience and safety,” said a representative of Rostec aviation cluster. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]