Simply Abu Dhabi XXVI

2 2 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I The Future of Flight With the unveiling of the FCX 001 concept helicopter and a newpartnershipwithUber, Bell Helicopter offers a vision of tomorrow’s air travel. by Nick Rice T he world’s first vertical take-off and landing vehicles (VTOLs) were created in the 1950s by the Canadian and British military and looked much like the flying- saucers of sci-fi movies. The technology has evolved over time and with global leaders in aircraft like Bell Helicopter pushing the boundaries, amazing new advances in air travel are on the horizon. Founded in 1935 as Bell Aircraft Corporation, Bell Helicopter are peerless in their field. Part of the global multi-industry giant Textron Inc., Bell Helicopter was the first to obtain certification for a commercial helicopter and over the decades the company has delivered more than 35,000 aircraft all over the world. Bell Helicopter continue to drive the industry and are actively expanding the potential scope of vertical lift aircraft and the future of air transportation with electric and hybrid VTOL aircraft. The FCX 001 concept helicopter was unveiled inMarch at the HELI EXPO 2017 in Dallas, Texas, and it was the subject of great attention. This is Bell Helicopter’s first concept aircraft and a bold vision of tomorrow’s efficient rotorcraft solutions. Bell Helicopter’s President and CEO Mitch Snyder said during the ceremony, “For the past 80 years Bell Helicopter has imagined the art of the possible and brought those dreams to life. Six months ago, we created a dedicated team to focus on emerging technologies and howwe could incorporate them into our products. Among that team’s first tasks was to display visually the technologies and innovations that present a roadmap that we envision bringing to market.” The stunningly sleek concept helicopter features an array of innovations, including morphing rotor blades that allow aircraft to optimise performance in different flight regimes, and a newly conceived cockpit. With a single pilot seat, the flight deck experience has the pilot controlling the aircraft through augmented reality and an artificial intelligence computer assistance system. The modular passenger cabin also features augmented reality technology – not for controlling the aircraft,