Bell 412

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_412

 

"Development began in the late 1970s with two Bell 212 being converted into 412 prototypes. An advanced four blade main rotor with a smaller diameter replaced the 212's two blade rotor." --Wikipedia

 

Is it different enough than the Bell 205 to need its own database entry?

 

A related question...does the Bell CH-146 Griffon (the Canadian version of the Bell 412) need its own database entry?

 

ANW

HUD 4 v1.11

It really depends on this question. What are you using the platform for?

 

If it is just to clutter the airspace then no, they are dimensionally similar and while not the EXACT same performance they are close enough to serve as clutter.

 

If you are trying to use them in Scenarios where the player will be controlling them then yes they will probably need atleast 2 entries. IIRC the CH-146 Griffon is used in armed rolls where as the civilian Bell 412/414 would be just that purely Civilian.

There appears to be a military version of the Bell 412, and it looks like several military forces have purchased or will purchase it. Here is some more information that lists how it is armed...

 

http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/bell_412.php

 

"Military 412: Announced by Bell June 1986; fitted with Lucas Aerospace chin turret and Honeywell Head Tracker helmet sight similar to that in AH-1S; turret carries 875 rounds, weighs 188kg and can be removed in under 30 minutes; firing arcs ±110° in azimuth, +15° and -45° in elevation; other armament includes twin dual FN Herstal 7.62mm gun pods, single FN Herstal 12.7mm pod, pods of seven or nineteen 70mm rockets, M240E1 pintle-mounted door guns, FN Herstal four-round 70mm rocket launcher and a 12.7mm gun or two Giat M621 20mm cannon pods." (from the above web site)

 

Looks like it will need several different loadouts, but probably nothing too hard to set up in the database.

Here is a little additional information on the Bell 212...

 

http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/bell_212.php

 

So...does the military Bell 212 need its own entry (besides the ASW version)? Or is it the same helicopter as the UH-1N but some countries just call it by its original model name and number instead of using the UH-1N designation? And what about all the other variants? Are they different enough to need their own entries?