Bell garnered a variety of new helicopter orders at the recently concluded European Rotors convention in Cologne. They included the sale of four 505 NXis to customers in Germany, Slovakia, and Ukraine, two 429 light twins, and an IFR-certified 407GXi single. German flight school kayfly has ordered a 505 to augment its current fleet of Bell 206 training aircraft. Slovakian customer Wellpharma will take delivery of an executive-configured 505 next summer. Heliclub Ukraine has ordered two 505s, two 429s, and a 407GXi.
The Bell 505 NXi features a dual-channel Fadec-controlled engine and Garmin G1000H NXi avionics with dual-core processors that reduce boot time by more than 50 percent, LED backlit and improved displays, LRU replacement via automatically loaded software recognition, VFR/IFR charts available via the multifunction display (MFD), and an enhanced horizontal situation indicator (HIS) with map and traffic and terrain overlays. The new 505 avionics package received EASA certification approval late last year. Duncan Van De Velde, Bell managing director for Europe and Russia, said the 505 was particularly well-suited for flight training as it combines “an affordable price point with low operating costs and advanced technology.”
Bell has more than 60 505s currently flying in Europe and has delivered more than 300 in 55 countries. The global fleet has amassed 75,000 hours. Bell also has delivered more than 400 model 429s.