Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Scott’s – Bell 47 Inc. (SB47) to examine the application of its RR300 engine to the Model 47 multipurpose light helicopter.
Fred Dickens, Rolls-Royce Vice President, Customer Business – Defense, said: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement with Scott’s – Bell 47 on the RR300. The Model 47 helicopter is world-renowned, with over 1,000 in operation, and we look forward to exploring future civil-certified additions to the Model 47 product range powered by the RR300.”
Scott Churchill, President & Owner of SB47 said, “We are very pleased to be working with Rolls-Royce on the RR300 engine. The capability of the current Bell 47 M250 powered STC helicopter speaks for itself and the potential for a factory built RR300 powered Model 47 is very exciting for both us and our customers.”
The RR300 engine embodies new technology and advanced design methodology. The engine draws on the proven record of other Rolls-Royce turbine engines to deliver a powerful and dependable engine at a competitive price. The RR300 was FAA type certified in 2007 and since that time over 500 engines have been delivered and it has accumulated over 12,000 operational hours.
Key attributes of the RR300 include: lower acquisition and operating costs; low-weight, compact design; improved specific fuel consumption; an embedded engine monitoring system; and the ability to burn a variety of commonly available jet fuels.
Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.
As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 4,000 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in more than 80 countries.
Annual underlying revenue was £11.3 billion in 2011, of which more than half came from the provision of services. The firm and announced order book stood at £60.1 billion at 30 June 2012, providing visibility of future levels of activity.
Rolls-Royce employs over 40,000 people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in over 50 countries. Over 11,000 of these employees are engineers. 2
In 2011, Rolls-Royce invested £908 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, in particular reducing emissions.
Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which connect the company’s engineers with the forefront of scientific research.
The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.
Rolls-Royce is the world-leading producer of light turbine engines in the helicopter market. The M250 line has produced over 30,000 engines, with approximately 16,000 currently in service worldwide in a number of aircraft models
