Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Utility helicopter

Power Plant:

One 376 kw (504 shp) FADEC controlled Turbomeca Arrius 2R turboshaft

Specifications:

History:

The Model 505 Jet Ranger X was designed as a replacement for the Model 206 JetRanger in the Bell fleet of helicopters, it being classed as a clean-sheet design which used some dynamic components of the Bell 206L4. The airframe was modern with metal and composite construction and was fitted with the Turbomeca Arrius 2R turboshaft with a dual channel FADEC and a 3,000 hour time between overhaul. It was fitted with the Garmin G1000H glass avionics suite.

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X (JRX) was an American light helicopter developed by Bell Helicopter Textron. It was unveiled at the Paris Air Show on June 17, 2013 as the Bell SLS (Short Light Single). The official name was later announced at HAI HeliExpo 2014 in Anaheim, California on 25 February, 2014.

A new facility was built to manufacture the machine, this being a 7,645.9 m² (82,300 sq ft) hangar at the Lafayette Regional Airport in Louisiana, USA, work on the construction of this facility beginning in August 2014. It was leased from the owners to Bell for production of the machine. The machine could carry a pilot and up to four passengers. Power was supplied by the Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine which provided 376 kw (504 shp) for take-off and 341 kw (457 shp) max continuous.

The prototype C-FTVI (c/n 65002) made its first flight at Mirabel in southern Quebec in Canada on 10 November 2014, the Company at that time announcing an order backlog which included a commitment for 10 to 60 machines received from Reignwood Investments Ltd, a Chinese tourism operator, this contract being signed at the 2014 Zhuhia Air Show, and Letters of Intent for 240. On 1 March 2017 Bell Helicopter Textron announced the Model 505 assembly line was being moved to Mirabel, and at the same time the Australian Civil Aviation Authority issued the Australian Type Certification for the type, certification by Transport Canada Civil Aviation being obtained on 21 December 2016.

In late 2014 at a Helicopter Expo on the Queensland Gold Coast a mockup of the Model 505 was shown to visitors and it was announced by the Australian and New Zealand distributor, Hawker Pacific, that orders had been placed for a number for Australian operators. By March 2016 Bell announced it had received orders for 350 examples. First production machine was flown at the Mirabel facility on 22 January 2017.

First customer for the Model 505 was Pylon Aviation of Arizona, USA in March 2017, first deliveries to Australian operators taking place in mid-2017, the first two going to Nautilus Aviation, a north Queensland operator, these machines being used for tourism and light utility operations.

Australasian distributor Hawker Pacific announced in early 2017 it would deliver five examples to Australian and three to New Zealand operators during the following 12 months.

The first two machines seen in this part of the world arrived late in 2017, these being VH-VSB² (c/n 65030) and VH-VTB² (c/n 65031) registered to Nautilus Aviation Pty Ltd of North Cairns on 21 November 2017, the machines being assembled in Sydney, NSW and flown north.

These two were followed by the first registered in New Zealand in January 2018, this machine becoming ZK-IRX (c/n 65040) with Rangitikei Helicopters Ltd of Rewa; followed by ZK-HYB (c/n 65086) for Helitranz Ltd of Auckland and ZK-IJX (c/n 65050) for Tukituki Bay Farms Ltd of Auckland. One of these two was fitted out for agricultural work when delivered.

Examples of the Model 505 have since continued to be delivered to Australian and New Zealand operators, including VH-ZVJ (c/n 65130) and VH-ZVN (c/n 65131) both delivered to Great Ocean Road Aviation of Princetown, VIC in 2018.