Bell has received a signed purchase agreement to deliver two new Subaru Bell 412EPX helicopters configured for search and rescue to the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) aviation unit. Subaru and Bell partnered on the upgraded helicopter as part of a successful campaign to win the Japan Defense Force’s UH-X helicopter competition for up to 150 aircraft.
Certified in 2018, the 412EPX possesses an increased maximum internal weight of 12,200 pounds, external weight of 13,000 pounds, and can sling up to 5,000 pounds of goods with a cargo hook. The maximum useful internal load is 5,385 pounds. The aircraft features a new main rotor gearbox with run dry capability and mast torque output of plus 11 percent at speeds below 60 knots.
Bell and the NYPD share a long history dating back to 1948, when a Bell 47—the first Bell helicopter to be used as part of an airborne law enforcement team—joined the NYPD aviation unit. The NYPD currently operates two Bell 412EPs, a Bell 407, and four Bell 429s for a variety of missions ranging from search and rescue at sea to gathering intelligence. NYPD’s aviation unit also relies on a Cessna Caravan 208EX to perform counterterrorism missions.
