Aircraft tours Nepal while demonstrating superior performance around Mount Everest. Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced the successful demonstration tour of the Bell 412EPI throughout Nepal. The Bell 412EPI demonstrated landing and take offs from 15,200 ft., ground effect hover at nearly 18,000 ft. density altitude and then flew up to 20,000 ft. pressure altitude near Mount Everest with five passengers onboard. Bell Helicopter pilots also demonstrated the performance of Bell 412EPI in the Annapurna Ranges around Jomsom Airfield in Western Nepal. Last year, the Bell 407GXP embarked on a similar demo tour in the area also successfully climbing to an altitude of 20,000 ft.

“I’m proud to say another Bell Helicopter product has demonstrated its heightened capability and customer-driven enhancements during a demo tour throughout Nepal,” said Sameer A. Rehman, managing director, Asia Pacific. “The Bell 412EPI received praise for its smooth ride, maneuverability and increased performance in high altitudes proving that our products are built to perform in the highest terrain on the planet.”

Introduced in March 2013, the Bell 412EPI improves the Bell 412EP platform with the Bell BasiX Pro™ fully integrated glass flight deck, providing critical flight information at a glance for greater situational awareness and safety. The Bell BasiX Pro™ system is specifically designed to meet the requirements of twin-engine helicopters and is optimized for IFR, Category A and JAR OPS3 compliant operations. The avionics suite also includes high resolution digital maps, electronic charts and approach plates, ADS-B transponder and optional HTAWS and XM satellite links. The new Bell 412EPI also incorporates the power of Pratt & Whitney’s PT6T-9 Twin Pac® engines, providing 15 percent more horsepower than the standard Bell 412. The Bell 412EPI features the BLR Strake and FastFin® system, which modifies the tail boom to optimize airflow and improve handling, safety and lift.