Bell delivers first 505 NXi in Europe

Since the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X went on sale shortly after certification in 2017, more than 300 have been delivered and are operating in more than 55 countries worldwide. It’s Bell’s entry-level helicopter, turbine-powered, and by any measure a success.

Now the 505 has had its first major update – Garmin’s latest G1000 NXI flightdeck and avionics. The first 505 NXi to receive EASA certification has just been delivered to a corporate customer in Europe at Bell’s Prague facility.

“We are proud to now offer the Bell 505 NXi to our European customers,” said Duncan Van De Velde, managing director, Bell Europe and Russia.

“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.”

The benefits of the upgraded Garmin G1000 NXI suite:

• Dual core processors to reduce boot time by more than 50%
• LED backlit and improved displays that increase resolution and brightness
• 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 allowing for easy flight plan and database uploads via a compatible mobile device.

The 505 is in use across a variety of missions, including pilot training, parapublic, helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) and private operators.

Bell 505 NXi