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By Dominic Perry2021-03-10T15:13:00+00:00
Mitch Snyder seems relaxed, confident even. Of course, it is hard to be sure over a blurry web meeting, but the Bell chief executive, now into his sixth year in charge, definitely seems on upbeat form.
That sunny outlook comes despite the pressures of the coronavirus, which saw deliveries slip at the US manufacturer last year, albeit that its civil and parapublic market share increased. Orders, while reduced, did pick up in the final quarter, he says.
Source: Bell
Snyder wants Bell to be compared against Silicon valley tech giants
But Snyder argues that what he saw from his company in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic is in part responsible for his positivity.
By Garrett Reim2021-02-03T00:27:00+00:00
Bell recently demonstrated its Autonomous Pod Transport 70 (APT 70) cargo drone autonomously delivering a package over a 4mi (6.44km) preprogrammed route in north Texas.
The demonstration took place on an undisclosed date at the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone, a region that is agreed to allow testing of and experimentation with novel ground and air transportation vehicles amid, as well as in the airspace above, commercial and residential buildings.
Source: Bell
APT 70 demonstration flight
“The APT reached a maximum altitude of 300ft above ground level,” says Bell. “Its route included flying near I-35W and miles of unpopulated fields as the aircraft transitioned in and out of Class D and Class G airspace”.
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AVweb
Image: Bell Textron
Bell Textron has announced that its Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) flew successfully with a payload of 110 pounds, completing an 8-mile route over the company’s testing site near Fort Worth, Texas, last week. According to Bell, it plans to begin demonstrating a series of military and commercial applications for the aircraft in 2021. The company says it is also working on simplifying the vehicle’s user interfaces and enhancing its autonomous features.
“The APT flight test team continues to push the capabilities of our aircraft, and we are excited to hit this milestone,” said Bell UAS program manager John Wittmaak. “This is yet another example of how Bell continues to adapt to customer needs.”