# Bell 412

The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. It is a twin-turbine helicopter that has been popular on the civilian and military markets, and major users include Canada, Italy, and Japan. Several hundred have been produced since its introduction in 1979, and several iterations of upgrades and variations have been produced, such as with upgraded cockpit electronics.
It has been manufactured under license in Italy as the Agusta-Bell AB412, in Indonesia by Indonesian Aerospace, and in Japan by Subaru. The Canadian Bell 412 was produced in Canada, but it was already the location of the main Bell Textron factory.

## Design and development

Development began in the late 1970s, with two Bell 212s being converted into 412 prototypes. An advanced four-blade main rotor with a smaller diameter replaced the 212's two-blade rotor. A Bell 412 prototype first flew in August 1979. The initial model was certified in January 1981, with deliveries commencing in the same month. The 412 model was followed by the 412SP (Special Performance) version, which featured a larger fuel capacity, a higher takeoff weight, and optional seating arrangements. In 1991, the 412HP (High Performance) variant with improved transmission replaced the SP version in production.
In the early 2000s, Bell offered the Bell 412EP as its Bell 412 LUH entrant in the U.S. Army Light Utility Helicopter program, where it competed against several other light helicopters for an order.
The current production version, 412EP (Enhanced Performance), is equipped with a dual digital automatic flight control system. In 2013, Bell introduced the 412EPI, which includes an electronic (digital) engine control for a PT6T-9 engine upgrade and a glass cockpit display system similar to the Bell model 429. Also featured is a Garmin touchscreen navigation system, and the BLR Strake and Fast Fin upgrades for improved hover performance. Over 700 Model 412s (including 260 by AgustaWestland) have been built.
The helicopter is powered by the Pratt and Whitney Canada twin-pack power plant with two turboshaft engines and has achieved the lowest in-flight shut-down rate of aircraft turboshaft engines. If one engine is shut down, a single engine can produce emergency power for 30 minutes.
The aircraft has been produced in Montreal, Canada, in Italy under license by Agusta, in Indonesia by Indonesian Aerospace, and also in Japan by Subaru (Fuji Heavy Industries). The Bell 412 was also initially manufactured in Texas, USA.
The emergency medical configuration can carry 6 patients/wounded and two attendants, or two stretchers and up to four attendants.
By 2022, over 1300 Bell 412 helicopters had been delivered.

## Variants
### Bell 412

    Standard Model with P&WC PT6T-3B

### Bell 412SP

    Special Performance version with P&WC PT6T-3BF engines

### Bell 412HP

    High performance version with P&WC PT6T-3BG or -3D engines

### Bell 412CF (CH-146 Griffon)

    100 custom-built utility transport helicopters for the Canadian Forces, based on 412EP and designated by Bell as 412CF

### Bell 412EP

    Enhanced performance version with P&WC PT6T-3DF engines

### Bell 412EPI

    Glass cockpit version with P&WC PT6T-9 electronic controlled engines

### Bell Griffin HT1

    Advanced training helicopter based on the Bell 412EP, operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) between 1997 and 2018 as an advanced flying trainer. Operated by the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury and the Search and Rescue Training Unit at RAF Valley.

### Bell Griffin HAR2

    Search and Rescue helicopter based on the Bell 412EP, operated by No. 84 Squadron RAF between 2003 and 2023 at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

### Agusta-Bell AB 412

    Civil utility transport version, built under license in Italy by Agusta.

### Agusta-Bell AB 412EP

    Italian-built version of the Bell 412EP.

### Agusta-Bell AB 412 Grifone

    Military utility transport version, built under licence in Italy by Agusta.

### Agusta-Bell AB 412 CRESO

    Italian-built version, fitted with a ground surveillance radar.

### Bell 412 LUH

    Entry for the U.S. Army Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) program. Lost to the EC145 entry (see UH-72 Lakota)

### NBell 412

    Indonesian Aerospace's (formerly IPTN) licensed product of Bell 412.

### Subaru-Bell UH-2 (Formerly known as UH-X)

    Modified version of the Bell 412 EPI; 150 on order to meet the JGSDF's requirement for a UH-1J replacement.

### Subaru-Bell 412EPX

    Commercial version of UH-X.

## Operators

The Bell 412 is used by private and commercial operators. It is particularly popular in the oil industries, military, law enforcement, and for medevac use. Around 2022-23, the unit cost for a 412EPX model was between US$14.5 million and US$16 million.

### Military operators
#### Algeria

    Algerian Air Force

#### Argentina

    Argentine Air Force

#### Australia

    Australian Army : 2 under lease at Army Aviation Training Center.

#### Azerbaijan

    Azerbaijani Air Force

#### Bahrain

    Bahraini Air Force

#### Botswana

    Botswana Defence Force

#### Cameroon

    Cameroon Air Force

#### Canada

    Royal Canadian Air Force
    3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (3e École de pilotage des Forces canadiennes)
    Main article: Bell CH-146 Griffon

#### Chile

    Chilean Air Force

#### Colombia

    Colombian Navy

#### Cyprus

    Cypriot National Guard

#### El Salvador

    Air Force of El Salvador

#### Eritrea

    Eritrean Air Force

#### Ghana

    Ghana Air Force

#### Guatemala

    Guatemalan Air Force

#### Guyana

    Guyana Defence Force

#### Honduras

    Honduran Air Force

#### Indonesia

    Indonesian Army
    Indonesian Navy

#### Italy

    Italian Army

#### Iraq

    412M on order.

#### Jamaica

    Jamaica Defence Force

#### Japan

    Japan Ground Self Defence Force

#### Lesotho

    Lesotho Defence Force

#### Mexico

    Mexican Air Force

#### Montenegro

    Montenegrin Air Force

#### Morocco

    Moroccan Navy

#### Nigeria

    Nigerian Air Force

#### Norway

    Royal Norwegian Air Force

#### Pakistan

    Pakistan Air Force
    Pakistan Army

#### Panama

    National Aeronaval Service of Panama

#### Peru

    Peruvian Air Force
    Peruvian Navy

#### Philippines

    Philippine Air Force - 7 Units Active out of 13 in Inventory in 2024.

#### Saudi Arabia

    Royal Saudi Air Force

#### Slovenia

    Slovenian Air Force

#### Somalia

    Somali Air Force

#### South Korea

    South Korean Air Force

#### Sri Lanka

    Sri Lanka Air Force

#### Tanzania

    Tanzania People's Defense Force

#### Thailand

    Royal Thai Air Force

#### Tunisia

    Tunisian Air Force

#### Turkey

    Turkish Coast Guard

#### United Arab Emirates

    United Arab Emirates Air Force

#### Uruguay

    Uruguayan Navy

#### Venezuela

    Venezuelan Army
    Venezuelan Navy

#### Zimbabwe

    Air Force of Zimbabwe

### Government operators
#### Australia

    Department of Fire and Emergency Services
    Emergency Management Queensland
    New South Wales Police Force
    New South Wales Rural Fire Service
    SAAS MedSTAR Retrieval Service

#### Brazil

    Federal Police

#### Canada

    Canadian Coast Guard
    National Research Council
    Surete du Quebec

#### Colombia

    National Police of Colombia

#### Croatia

    Croatian Ministry of Interior

#### Czech Republic

    Police of the Czech Republic

#### Finland

    Finnish Border Guard

#### Indonesia

    Indonesian National Police

#### Iran

    Iranian Red Crescent Society

#### Italy

    Guardia di Finanza
    State Forestry Corps

#### Japan

    Japan Coast Guard
    Tokyo Metropolitan Police

#### South Korea

    Coast Guard

#### Slovenia

    Slovenian National Police

#### United States

    Chicago Fire Department
    Delaware State Police
    Los Angeles Police Department
    Los Angeles County Fire Department
    Miami-Dade County Fire Department
    New York Police Department
    Orange County Fire Authority
    San Diego Fire Department
    United States Park Police
    Ventura County Fire Department
    Virginia State Police

### Former
#### Netherlands

    Royal Netherlands Air Force. AB412 helicopters retired from SAR duties in 2015.

#### Poland

    Polish Air Force, 1 412HP used 1993–2011

#### United States

    Los Angeles Fire Department

#### Uganda

    Uganda Air Force

#### United Kingdom

    Royal Air Force

## Incidents and accidents

* On April 4, 1991, a Bell 412SP collided in mid-air with a Piper Aerostar over Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, during an improvised attempt to inspect the Aerostar's landing gear. The accident killed all five people on both aircraft, including United States senator John Heinz, along with two children on the ground. The collision was attributed to poor judgment by the pilots of both aircraft.
* On December 10, 2006, Bell 412SP medical helicopter Mercy Air 2 crashed in mountainous terrain near Hesperia, California. All three crew members on board died. The accident was attributed to controlled flight into terrain in low visibility.
* On December 7, 2023, a Bell 412EP operated by the Guyanese military went down carrying 2 crew and 5 senior officers at the border between Venezuela and Guyana during bad weather.

## Specifications (412EP)

Data from International Directory of Civil Aircraft, Bell 412EP Product Specifications
General characteristics
* Crew: one-two pilots
* Capacity: up to 13 passengers, maximum external load of almost 6,614 lb (3,000 kg)
* Length: 56 ft 1 in (17.09 m) including rotors
* Fuselage length: 43 ft (13 m)
* Height: 15 ft 0 in (4.57 m)
* Empty weight: 6,789 lb (3,079 kg)
* Max takeoff weight: 11,900 lb (5,398 kg)
* Blade sections: root: Boeing VR-7; tip: Wortmann FX 71-H-080
* Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3D Twin-Pac or PT6T-3DF Twin-Pac coupled turboshaft engine - each, 1,250 shp (930 kW)
             900 shp (671 kW) single power section emergency power
* Main rotor diameter: 46 ft 0 in (14.02 m)
* Main rotor area: 1,662 sq ft (154.4 m$^2$)
Performance
* Maximum speed: 140 kn (160 mph, 260 km/h)
* Cruise speed: 122 kn (140 mph, 226 km/h)
* Range: 529 nmi (609 mi, 980 km)
* Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
* Rate of climb: 1,350 ft/min (6.9 m/s)
* Power/mass: 0.2663 hp/lb (0.4378 kW/kg)