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The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is a five-seat light utility helicopter powered by a single Safran Helicopter Engines Model Arrius 2R turboshaft.
The Bell 505 is built and developed by the Canadian/American Bell Helicopter Textron. On 17 June 2013, the Bell 505 was unveiled at the 2013
Paris Airshow as the Bell SLS (Short Light Single). On 25 February 2014, the Bell 505 designation was officially announced at the HAI Heli-Expo
2014 in Annaheim, California. The 505 marks Bell's return to the light single market since it stopped building the Model 206 JetRanger in 2010
after delivering more than 8.500 cicil and military aircraft since the Model 206 was flown first in December 1962. At the Heli-Expo 2014, Bell
showed three mock-ups of the helicopter in utility, executive/passenger and law enforcement configurations. The fuselage of the Bell 505 consists
of a metallic primary structure with composite side panels and aft fuselage skins. The Jet Ranger X is designed with a 2.04 m² flat floor, increased
cabin volume, an 0.51 m³ baggage compartment and clamshell doors to undertake a variety of missions. The five-seat Bell 505 is equipped with a Garmin
G100H integrated glass flight deck. The engine is a Safran Arrius 2R turoshaft with a dual-channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control - FADEC. The
505 retains the legendary Bell two-bladed autorotational characteristics as Bell had chosen for the proven rotor system used by the Bell 206L-4, from
the top of the rotor system, down through the transmission, to the drive train and the tail rotor. Standard landing gear are conventional skids.
Various options such as a cargo hook are available. Initial assembly, flight testing and certification started in Canada. Bell 505 s/n 65001 was a GTV,
Ground Test Vehicle. Starting with s/n 65002 a total of 3 prototypes (FTV’s, Flight Test Vehicles) were built. Prototype Bell 505 C-FTVI (s/n 65002) was
flown first on 11 November 2014. The second test aircraft (C-FTVN s/n 65003) flew on 25 February 2015. On 19 December 2016, the Bell 505 received type
certification from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), followed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 13 June 2017. EASA certification
was recieved on 10 November 2017. Main production started in 2016 in an facility at Lafayette Regional Airport in Louisiana, USA, but the same year,
Bell Helicopter relocated the Bell 505 production to Bell Helicopter's assembly and distribution center in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. On 7 March 2017,
the first customer aircraft was delivered to the owner of Pylon Aviation, based in Chandler, Arizona, USA. Bell delivered the 100th 505 JRX in June
2018, and the 300th in May 2021.
The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is B505. |
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In March 2018, Bell Model 505 s/n 65079 was testflown with Bell Helicopter Textron Canada test registration C-GFNU. The Bell 505 was destined for Helimo in
Belgium and shipped to Air Technology Belgium at Kortrijk-Wevelgem, where it arrived on 15 May 2018. The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X was registered OO-JRX in Belgium
on 14 May 2018. Bell 505 OO-JRX was delivered to Helimo on 4 June 2018 and based at their heliport Antwerp-Kiel (EBAH). By 1 January 2019, the Antwerp-Kiel heliport
had to be closed; Bell 505 OO-JRX moved to Antwerp Airport and was offered for sale. In December 2019, Bell 505 Jet Ranger X OO-JRX was sold in Germany and
flown to Erfurt. On 19 December 2019, registration D-HSTV was reserved for the Bell 505. On 15 January 2020, registration OO-JRX was cancelled and on 27
February 2020, the Bell 505 was registered D-HSTV with HELIKO / Helicopter Sevice Thüringen at Großbrembach Heliport in Thüringen, Germany.
On 25 June 2020,
Bell 505 Jet Ranger X D-HSTV was seen at Hoogeveen airfield in the Netherlands with 'HELIKO operated by Helicopter Sevice Thüringen' titles. |
Luchtvaart déjà vu
