Bell Unveils Bell 505 Jet Ranger X

The details have been rumored for months, but there is now a new Jet Ranger in the world... and it wants its share of the light single-engine turbine heli market captured by Robinson's highly successful R66. "Bell Helicopter changed the face of the industry nearly 50 years ago with the introduction of the legendary JetRanger," said John Garrison, CEO of Bell Helicopter.

"Today we reveal the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, the high-performance, high-value aircraft our customers have been asking for in this category. Not only is the Bell 505 competitively priced, it offers a combination of features, capabilities and support customers have come to expect from Bell Helicopter."

The new Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is a five-seat, single-engine, turbine helicopter leveraging Bell Helicopter’s proven technology and nearly half a century of experience defining the SLS market with the original Bell JetRanger. With a cruise speed of 125 knots, range of 360 nautical miles and useful load of 1,500 pounds, the Bell 505 is designed to be the safest and easiest aircraft to fly in its category while still remaining 'affordably priced.' The Jet Ranger X is a multi-mission helicopter, designed to meet a wide variety of missions with a fully flat floor, increased cabin volume and clam shell doors. It can support a wide variety of operations categories, including the utility segment, corporate and private owners, and training schools.

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X features a Garmin G1000H Integrated Avionics Suite and is powered by a Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine with dual channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). The Bell 505 features a high inertia rotor system.

“It’s an exciting time to be at Bell Helicopter, working side-by-side with our customers to create the next generation of vertical lift,” Garrison said. “Throughout our entire planning and development process, we are engaging our customers. They are providing us with actionable insights about how we can improve our products and what they will need for their missions in the coming years. This input has been invaluable in ensuring we deliver the products our customers need to be successful.”

The new Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is scheduled for first flight late this year, while Bell reports that it has begun signing letters of intent for the new aircraft at the show.

FMI: www.bellhelicopters.com, http://www.bell505.com