Fort Worth, TX (June 26, 2014) – Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), is showcasing the VIP mockup of the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X during the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, United Kingdom, from June 26 to 29. The Bell Helicopter stand is #2 in the Aviation Exhibition Area and will also feature a Bell 407.

We have a long history in Europe with the Jet Ranger family of aircraft since the first one began flying in Europe in 1967 and customers are excited to see this legacy continue,” said Patrick Moulay, Bell Helicopter’s managing director of Europe. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual event for many of the biggest longtime aviation enthusiasts in the region and provides a wonderful opportunity to exhibit this high performance, high value aircraft.”

At the event Bell Helicopter is also introducing UK-based Aerospeed Limited as the first official European customer for the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X.

“As a longtime operator of several Bell 206s, we have been eager to find a new aircraft that combines the proven capabilities of the Jet Ranger with next generation performance and reliability,” said Steve Purchase, owner of UK-based Aerospeed Limited. “As soon as the Bell 505 was introduced at such an affordable price point, it was an easy decision to move quickly and become one of the first customers for the new aircraft.”

“The response to the Bell 505 has been tremendous, with more than 40 signed letters of intent from European customers since we introduced the aircraft in February,” said Moulay. “We are honored Aerospeed Limited chose to sign on as the first official Jet Ranger X customer in Europe.

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X mockup is touring throughout Europe, making previous appearances at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, EBACE and the Heli UK Expo. Following Goodwood, the Jet Ranger X will make a final European stop at the Farnborough International Airshow July 14-20.