Bell 525 Relentless – the next helicopter type in the North Sea?
Industri Energi Equinor Offshore was this week invited to a presentation and information session on the recently developed offshore helicopter Bell 525 Relentless.
Bell 525 Relentless is a newly developed medium sized helicopter seating 16 offshore workers. The helicopter is equipped with so-called fly-by-wire, a system replacing conventional manual controls with electric signals. The Bell representative in Norway, Ole Petter Bakken, welcomed full-time union representative for Industri Energi Equinor Offshore, Per Steinar Stamnes, to the presentation and cabin test at Sola, Stavanger.
The intention was to give the largest union on the Norwegian continental shelf better knowledge about and information on the new helicopter Bell 525.
Wintershall DEA has an intentional agreement to start using the new helicopter on flights from Bergen to the Brage-field Q1-2023.
Stamnes says that helicopter safety is very important to members and Industri Energi Equinor Offshore alike. That is why it is important to know what is coming on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
– My first impression is the excellent view from the cabin with big windows on the sides and decent visibility to the front. The cabin appears light and airy. The big windows are important in case of possible evacuation, but also for how the passenger experience the safety onboard. The seats are wide, well padded and very comfortable compared to the seats in the current offshore helicopters, says Per Steinar.
He continues: The angle of the back rest is a bit better than in S92. The wish is that it can be angled another few degrees in order to make the flight to and from work more comfortable.
Ole Petter Bakken informs that there are hardly any vibrations which, added to the automatics in combination with the so-called fly-by-wire-system, make for a smooth flight. It is an incredible smart helicopter that reduces pilot error in addition to being more comfortable.
Fly-by-wire-technology implies that the helicopter is guided with electric signals from the pilot controls through a computer to the helicopter rotors and blades. This allows improved performance and increased stability, compared to conventional systems.
– Bell 525 is significantly faster than other helicopters offshore today, says Ole Petter Bakken. In spite of the high speed, the helicopter is really smooth with minor vibrations and less noise.
In addition the gear box has been designed for dry-run and shall be able to fly for one hour on no gear oil without any challenges.
It is somewhat smaller than the current offshore helicopters and seats 16 passengers, whereas Sikorsky S92 seats 19 passengers.
Bell 525 uses less fuel and emits 21% less CO2 than the S92. Bakken expects that the machine will be certified by American and European authorities in 2020/21 and will be ready for the Norwegian offshore market with full de-icing equipment within 2022/23.
And the Bell representative in Norway is positive about introducing a new helicopter type on the Norwegian continental shelf in addition to the S92.
The leader of the helicopter committee in LO, Henrik Fjeldsbø, earlier stated that we trust the Sikorsky S92 helicopters bringing offshore workers to and from work, but it is too vulnerable to use only one helicopter type in offshore transport.
Stamnes concludes that Equinor decides on which helicopter types to be used in their portfolio, and that they are very satisfied with S92.
– Industri Energi Equinor Offshore is also very satisfied with S92, which is a dependable machine, Stamnes continues. The Equinor policy is to not be a “first customer” and prefers to start using well known technology before adding new helicopter types. Regardless, it seems that Bell 525 will arrive at the Norwegian continental shelf courtesy of Wintershall next year.
– We will pay close attention to their experiences, Stamnes concludes.
