Bell Helicopter (Booth C5122) signed a purchase agreement with the Sacramento Police Department for the first law enforcement-configured Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, the company announced Wednesday at Heli-Expo 2018. The light single-engine turbine helicopter will be outfitted with high skids and other law-enforcement provisions.
“The enhanced visibility, maneuverability, and advanced avionics of the Bell 505 make it a choice aircraft for our operations,” said sergeant Greg Brown of the department’s Air Operations Unit. “The helicopter will be invaluable in reducing man-hours and response times in critical routine calls of service.”
The Bell 505 has a cruise speed of 125 knots and a useful load of 1,500 pounds. It was certified by Transport Canada in December 2016 and by the FAA in June 2017.