Since its certification in 2017, Bell’s entry-level single-engine turbine helicopter has proven itself worthy of the ‘Jetranger’ moniker it inherited from its ubiquitous forbears. More than 300 have been sold and the global fleet has amassed over 50,000 flying hours across 55 countries.
Bell have now upgraded the aircraft with the latest avionics offering from Garmin, the G1000 NXi suite.
Certified by EASA in 2020, the first European delivery of the Bell 505 NXi, to a corporate customer in the Czech Republic, was completed at Bell’s service centre in Prague.
“We are proud to now offer the Bell 505 NXi to our European customers,” said Duncan Van De Velde, managing director, Europe and Russia.
The Jetranger X sets itself apart from its competition by offering a digital dual-channel FADEC, making engine handling much easier than on some competing machines.
Now Bell are counting on the upgraded avionics to further reduce workload for the pilot.
“Every new Bell 505 comes standard with the Garmin G1000 NXi integrated avionics suite,” said De Velde.
“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.”
Alongside an upgrade to dual-core processors, designed to reduce the boot-up time, the G1000 NXi display is a brighter, higher-resolution unit. It features an Enhanced Horizontal Situation Indicator (HIS) with map, traffic and terrain overlays. On the multifunction display (MFD), VFR/IFR charts are available and an optional wireless datalink allows for easy flight plan and database uploads via a compatible mobile device.
Click here for more information on the Bell 505 NXi Jetranger X.