The four-blade medium twin
Bell 412
A four-blade medium twin with a wide cabin, used selectively by large-group operators working in remote mountain terrain.
Bell
412 / 412EP / 412EPX
- Typical ski format
- Large-group format
- Certified seating
- 1 pilot + up to 14 passengers
- Published cruise
- 123 kt / 228 km/h
- Main rotor diameter
- 14.02 m
The skier’s view
Big-cabin logistics with a four-blade signature
The Bell 412 carries the broad-cabin logic of the 212 into a four-blade airframe. Current production specifications describe seating for one pilot and up to fourteen passengers, but heli-ski operators set a smaller working manifest around guides, guests, equipment and conditions.
It is far less universal in heli-skiing than the H125 or Bell 212. Tyax is a clearly documented example, using Bell 212 and 412 aircraft through Wildcat Helicopters.
Four-blade rotor
The quickest visual distinction from the two-blade Bell 212.
Medium-twin scale
A large cabin designed for people, cargo and repeated field work.
Selective use
A real heli-ski aircraft, but not a global default.
Inside the cabin
A flexible cabin with no single ski layout
Bell publishes a 1+14 maximum for the current 412EPX, while Tyax does not publish a seat-by-seat ski configuration. This map therefore shows cabin zones and a conservative ten-passenger example—not Tyax’s actual manifest.
- Configuration
- Illustrative ten-passenger cabin
- Equipment
- Large sliding doors support loading; long ski equipment is normally carried externally.
Bell maximum seating; operator layout not publicly specified
The operator’s view
Why this aircraft works
- A large, reconfigurable cabin with broad sliding doors.
- Twin-engine medium-lift capacity for remote field operations.
- A four-blade rotor system and a long operational lineage.
Where you will find it
Names matter
Variants and aliases
Bell 412
The original four-blade evolution of the Bell 212 airframe family.
412EP / EPI
Enhanced performance and integrated-flight-deck production variants.
SUBARU Bell 412EPX
The current production evolution; not necessarily the variant used by heli-ski operators.
Research notes
Sources & verification
Aircraft specifications describe reference conditions. Operator sources establish current heli-ski use and group format. Last reviewed 2026-08-22.
- manufacturerSUBARU Bell 412EPX specifications Bell
- authorityBell 212/412 type certificate data sheet European Union Aviation Safety Agency
- operatorHelicopters and pilots Tyax Lodge & Heliskiing
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