Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced today the 400th Bell 505 delivery to European customer Al Barratt, co-founder of Grenade and owner of Cotswold Aviation, both based in the United Kingdom.
Joined by the Bell leadership team, Mr. Barratt received the customized Bell 505 at a delivery ceremony at Bell’s Mirabel, Canada facility.“The Bell 505 is an incredible aircraft, and we are proud to celebrate the 400th delivery to Mr. Barratt,” said LaShan Bonaparte, vice president, Commercial Sales, Bell. “The Bell 505 provides outstanding performance capabilities, modern avionics and a versatile cabin for our customers. This will be a great addition to Cotswold Aviation’s fleet.”
The first Bell 505 was delivered in 2017, and today, there are 400 aircraft operating on six different continents. The Bell 505 is one of company’s fastest growing products for corporate and VIP markets. As the demand for this aircraft increases, Bell has continued to introduce technologies for the Bell 505 including an enhanced avionic suite and auto-pilot capabilities.
“Flying in the 505 is a unique experience and a perfect solution for business travel around the UK and other parts of Europe,” said Mr. Barratt. “This aircraft enables me to save time throughout my day by avoiding traffic and gets me quickly and safely to my destination. I’m already operating two single engine fixed wing aircraft, and I’ve been looking for the ‘rotary equivalent’ of those machines. This stunning 505 fits my mission perfectly, blending performance and technology while reducing pilot workload.”
The Bell 505 is the newest five-seat aircraft designed for safety and efficiency while using the most advanced technology to date. A fully integrated Garmin G1000H NXi avionics suite and Safran Arrius 2R engine with a dual-channel FADEC provides maximized situational awareness and workload reduction to fly successfully in a multitude of scenarios. With the added benefit of a large cabin and panoramic window views, the Bell 505 is ideal for corporate passengers and private owner adventures.
Textron release