723sqn To Get Bell 429s

[enfield38]

From the Dept of Defence website today,

19 September 2011


'Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced that the Royal Australian Navy has signed a new contract with Raytheon Australia to provide three Bell 429 helicopters aimed to maintain and develop the skills of junior Naval helicopter aircrew.

The contract is worth around $26 million over four years and includes support and maintenance.

Mr Clare said that the helicopters would be operated by Navy’s 723 Squadron in Nowra.

“This is one way the Navy is making sure that pilots and aircrew are ready for the new Romeo combat helicopters which will start arriving in 2014,” Mr Clare said.

“Junior aircrew initially train in Squirrel helicopters. They will then move on to the Bell 429 to improve and maintain their skills.

“This gives young Naval pilots and aircrew the chance to hone their skills before they start flying the new combat helicopters, the MH-60R Seahawks or the new MRH-90 helicopters.”

The lease of these helicopters is necessary to assist in the skills development of Naval aircrew following the cancellation of the failed Seasprite project.

These new helicopters will operate for four years from 2012 and are expected to fly around 1500 hours per year.'

I guess the A109 lease is nearly spent..

Rod

This post has been edited by enfield38 on Sep 19 2011, 12:46 PM

[Brendan Cowan]

Thanks Rod,

Your're right, this is a very similar press release to the one released when the A109s came on stream.

BC

Attached Image

[Grumpy Cobra]

edit

This post has been edited by Grumpy Cobra on May 24 2012, 12:10 AM

[Brendan Cowan]

Folks,

The RAN has started acceptance work on the Bell 429's in Feb 2012 with the three aircraft due to join 723 Sqn this month.(March).

Here are some related news items:

http://www.helihub.com/2012/02/06/royal-au...first-bell-429/

http://www.aussiemodeller.com.au/forum/vie....php?f=7&t=3491

http://www.faaaa.asn.au/

http://australianaviation.com.au/2011/09/r...rcrew-training/

Thanks to Phantom for the link to the Aussie Modeller item which includes a couple of photos of VH-NPP/049.


BC

P.S. Grumpy, it looks like they haven't gone for the wheeled u/c option.

[Brendan Cowan]

Just a small update note:

VH-NPP is CN is 57047 (2011 build) and was placed on the Australian register on 23 February 2012 by Raytheon Australia Pty Ltd.

http://www.regosearch.com/aircraft/au/NPP

I can't see the other two on the register and don't yet know whether N Numbers will be allocated (but given that the A109E's were allocated N42, I suspect that military serials will be issued after acceptance is complete).

The only other two aircraft registered to Raytheon Australia Pty Ltd at this time are:

VH-ESM
Manufacturer:GATES LEARJET CORP
Model:35A
Serial:611
Holder/Operator:RAYTHEON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

VH-ESW
Manufacturer:GATES LEARJET CORP
Model:35A
Serial:071
Holder/Operator:RAYTHEON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD


Cheers

Brendan

[Martin Edwards]

Nice set of photos of VH-NPP / 047 at
http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board...ay&thread=15752

Judging by the cgi below it will become N43-047

OK who wants to do the new RAN Bell 429 page?

Attached Image

[Martin Edwards]

It has been pointed out to me that A43 is allocatted to the Heron UAV so it is unlikely that N43 will be used

[batman]

Martin

still trying to get the gouge on all 3 - next week I hope.

[GregHyde]

049 arrived at Bankstown by Truck on 10/03/2012 for assembly with another in the hangar undergoing assembly.

Based on Canadian/US register data the three are:

57047 Side No. 047 VH-NPP
57048 Side No. 048 VH-???
57049 Side No. 049 VH-??? Pictured in current AA p75

All three have already appeared on the Canadian & US Registers

Greg

[Grumpy Cobra]

Righto birdies,

serials will be:

N49-047 (VH-NPP)
N49-048 (VH-NPQ)
N49-049 (VH-NPR)

[Brendan Cowan]

Thanks Grumpy,

I have put a placeholder at:

http://www.adf-serials.com.au/ran.htm

Now to cerate the N49 page!

Any volunteers to be the page owner/author?

:D

BC

[Brendan Cowan]

Come to think of it, that leaves several more gaps in:

http://www.adf-serials.com.au/raaf3.htm

Does anyone know what the missing allocations have gone to?

:blink:

BC

[Grumpy Cobra]

delete

This post has been edited by Grumpy Cobra on May 24 2012, 12:09 AM

[Brendan Cowan]

To all,

The new page for the Bell 429 is here:

http://www.adf-serials.com.au/n49.htm

Any comments, corrections and/or additional info is welcome.

BC

Attached Image

[Grumpy Cobra]

Calum has posted pics of a new Navy Bell 429 side number 050 but with serial N49-218 - is this a 4th Bell 429 for Navy or a replacement for one of the 3 previously leased and what is with the registration N49-218 - why is it not N49-050??????????

See http://www.aussiemodeller.com.au/forum/vie...t=9981&start=10

Civil delivery rego is VH-POJ

This post has been edited by Grumpy Cobra on Aug 13 2015, 12:28 AM

[Martin Edwards]

VH-POJ has c/n57218 so that's why serial is N49-218

[Grumpy Cobra]

FAA snapshot: active numbers as at Dec 2015 (source: Commander FAA)

6 Squirrels (7 Squirrels no longer active)
4 Bell 429
6 MRH-90
10 Bravo Seahawks and decreasing (6 Bravo Seahawks no longer active)
16 Romeo Seahawks and increasing

[Martin Edwards]

Corrected entry for N49-050 to N49-218 (better late than never)
http://www.adf-serials.com.au/n49.htm