Bell has tried several incarnations of a twin version of its successful
Bell 206 series, including the
Bell 400 and 440 in the mid-1980s, and the limited-production
Bell 206LT TwinRanger in the early 1990s. Bell's original concept for a replacement for the 206LT TwinRanger was the
Bell 407T, a relatively straightforward twin-engine development of the
Bell 407 with two Allison 250-C22B engines. However, Bell concluded that the payload-range performance of the 407T would not be sufficient. The company began development of a new light twin, in partnership with
South Korea's Samsung Aerospace Industries. In February 1996, Bell announced its
Model 427 at the Heli Expo in Dallas. The Bell 427 was the company's first aircraft designed entirely on computer. In 2004, Bell offered a redesigned 427 version, the
Bell 427i, which was developed in partnership with South Korea's
Korea Aerospace Industries and
Japan's Mitsui Bussan Aerospace. The agreement gave KAI the development and production responsibility for the fuselage, cabin wiring, and fuel system. Mitsui Bussan became a financial backer. The 427
i included a newer glass cockpit and navigation systems to allow single pilot flying under
Instrument flight rules. The design had a fuselage lengthened 1 ft 2 in (0.36 m), a more powerful engine version and transmission, and increased takeoff weight. However, the program was canceled and focus shifted to the improved
Bell 429. In February 2005, the existing 80 orders for the 427
i were converted to the 429. On January 24, 2008, Bell announced plans to officially discontinue its 427 line after current order commitments were fulfilled in 2010. ==Design==