Philadelphia, PA -- (SBWire) -- 11/12/2018 --Sterling Helicopter is excited to announce that the helicopter design process may become faster and more cost-efficient by incorporating Virtual Reality (VR) technology. Bell recently used VIVE VR and partnered with the 3D design and production agency Sector 5 Digital to craft their revolutionary FXC-001 helicopter.

Typically, designing a helicopter takes five to seven years. Bell, however, successfully used cutting-edge technology to reduce that timespan to only six months. This established aircraft manufacturer shared their new VR design process in a recent video and at the 2018 VR/AR Global Summit on September 21.

VR technology allowed Bell to fine-tune the FXC-001 design early in the development process, without having to build multiple physical mockups. Instead, they created a 3D virtual cockpit using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.

Pilots can sit in this virtual cockpit, share their feedback with designers, and instantly tweak the design for a better user experience. For example, the Bell team may change the shape of the windows for better visibility or shift a tool to a more intuitive location. Pilots can also see helicopter parts that would be hidden in a traditional mock-up, such as the engine or other technical components.

Sterling Helicopter is ready to embrace the future of helicopter design. Their factory trained and certified team offers excellent helicopter maintenance and repair for brands such as Bell, Airbus, MD, Sikorsky, and Leonardo.

To find out more about current innovations in the helicopter industry, or to learn about Sterling Helicopter's expert maintenance for helicopters near Philadelphia, please visit https://www.sterlinghelicopter.com.

About Sterling Helicopter
Sterling Helicopter provides aircraft owners with superior helicopter maintenance, component overhaul, upgrades, avionics, and more in Croydon, PA. The company has been in operation for over 33 years and operates the only public-use heliport in the city of Philadelphia.

To see a full list of their services, please visit http://sterlinghelicopter.com.