Helicopters Bell delivers first 505 NXi helicopter to European customer

Bell Textron has delivered its first 585 NXi helicopter to a European corporate customer. The aircraft is certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency EASA and was delivered from the manufacturer´s facility at Prague in Czechia.

Duncan Van De Velde, managing director, Europe and Russia said: “We are proud to now offer the Bell 505 NXi to our European customers [...] With receiving EASA certification at the end of 2020, every new Bell 505 comes standard with the Garmin G1000 NXi integrated avionics suite. The new upgraded avionics provide best-in-class workload reduction, situational awareness with faster processing power, and crisper displays to aid pilots with flight, aircraft, traffic and terrain information in an easy-to-read format.”

With new Garmin avionics installed, the 505 NXi is one of the most technological advanced helicopters in the market. The aircraft is equipped with a dual channel FADEC-controlled engine and is being categorised as a short light single aircraft.

Regarding the new functions of the 505 NXi, the manufacturer wrote: "Easy LRU replacement via automatically loaded software recognition VFR/IFR charts available via the multifunction display (MFD) Enhanced Horizontal Situation Indicator (HIS) with map, traffic and terrain overlays optional wireless datalink allows for easy flight plan and database uploads via a compatible mobile device."

This delivery is a small, but new milestone in the helicopter´s programme. Recently, the EASA issued the type certificate for the 505 NXi, which means that deliveries to customers can now be performed.

Currently, there are around 300 Bell 505s operating across the globe. In more than 55 countries on six continents, the global 505 fleet has accumulated 50,000 total fleet hours. The aircraft is mainly used for private, parapublic or helicopter emergency medical services.

Up to four passengers can be accommodated on the Bell 505, which has a hover performance of 125 knots. With the tanks installed, the aircraft is capable of flying up to 306 nautical miles. The flexible cabin space makes it a popular choice for operators that perform a wide range of missions.