LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- (Marketwire) -- 03/05/13 -- HELI-EXPO - Bell Helicopter, a Textron Company (NYSE:TXT), has selected Pratt & Whitney's Canada's (P&WC) PT6T-9 Twin-Pac® engines to power its upgraded Bell 412EPI helicopter. The announcement was made during the Helicopter Association International (HAI) HELI-EXPO in Las Vegas, Nevada. P&WC is a United Technologies Corporation company (NYSE:UTX).

"The PT6T family of turboshaft engines has been powering new generations of helicopters for four decades with a stellar reputation for reliability and power, one that keeps customers like Bell convinced it's still the engine of choice in its class," said Richard Dussault, Vice-President, Marketing, P&WC. "This latest version in the family, the PT6T-9, has an electronic engine control with full hydro mechanical backup, which reduces pilot workload, a key feature since the Bell 412 is certified for single-pilot IFR." The reliability of the PT6T engine is unmatched, at rates that are ten times better than the industry standard.

The Bell 412EPI is powered by a PT6T-9 engine providing a 15 per cent increase in engine power, engine exceedance monitoring capability and engine maintenance reporting. Previous versions of the Bell 412 were all powered by earlier models from the PT6T family, including the PT6T-3D.

"The Bell 412EPI will provide our customers with significant performance improvements," said Jeff Lowinger, Executive Vice President, Engineering and Commercial Programs. "Our Category A operators will be able to translate the increased power available in the PT6T-9 engines into payload improvements for elevated and ground level helipad operations. The aircraft will be on display at the Bell Helicopter booth at HELI-EXPO this week."

In addition to offering electronic engine control (EEC), the PT6T-9 engine provides 15 per cent greater take-off thermodynamic power for improved hot-and high- and Category A-helicopter performance.

PT6 family turns 50

It was on December 22, 1963 that engineers at P&WC convened to witness the delivery of the first production engine of their turboprop brainchild - the PT6A - which set the company on its current path as a world-leader in aviation. The company has diversified from that single engine model and now has 13 engine families serving business, general aviation, regional airlines and helicopters. The PT6 is one of the few technological concepts invented 50 years ago that remain relevant today. It is truly unique, and this year, at 400 million flight hours strong, we celebrate the iconic engine's 50th birthday.

Customer service

P&WC has built the largest, most comprehensive customer service network in the industry around its 10,000 customers who operate in 200 countries.

Through its Customer First Centres in Montreal and Singapore, P&WC is always just a call or click away, providing unparalleled technical support. The P&WC network includes 30-owned or designated repair and overhaul facilities, seven parts distribution centres, approximately 100 Field Support Representatives, 100 mobile repair team (MRT) technicians ready to be dispatched at a moment's notice, and 800 rental/exchange engines. P&WC offers customer training through Flight Safety International, which has 12 locations around the world. P&WC offers comprehensive Pay-per-Hour service for fleet operators and business and general aviation customers, with more than 7,500 engines currently enrolled in P&WC-backed hourly cost programs, including the ESP® and FMP® programs.

P&WC also offers the repair and overhaul of accessories, the repair of components and the sale of new, exchange and used serviceable parts. Advanced diagnostics help operators advance towards a totally planned operating environment.

Come and see us at HELI-EXPO, booth N3718: Interested operators are invited to drop by P&WC's booth to speak with a customer service representative.

About Pratt & Whitney Canada

Founded in 1928, and a global leader in aerospace, P&WC is shaping the future of aviation with dependable, high-technology engines. Based in Longueuil, Quebec (Canada), P&WC is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation company (UTC). UTC is a diversified company that provides a broad range of high-technology products and services to the global aerospace and building systems industries.

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