As the sun rises over the expansive Outback and the rugged hills of Middle Earth, one may spot the Bell 505 taking to the skies, its rotor blades slicing through the dawn with precision and grace, accompanied by the soft and distinctive whirring that is synonymous of rotorcraft.
A symbol of modern innovation in aviation, despite its compact size, the Bell 505 has proven to be a versatile and indispensable tool for a wide range of missions, flying from coast to coast across Australia and the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
Australia’s vast and often unforgiving landscape can present unique challenges for any pilot and aircraft, which is why there is a need for a reliable and agile helicopter that can navigate the remote deserts in the Northern Territory and the lush rainforests of Queensland.
The Bell 505 boasts a fully-integrated Garmin G1000H system with two LCD screens that feature critical flight data, a moving map display, Traffic Information System (TIS), among other things – reducing the pilot’s workload while increasing their situational awareness.
Apart from its top-of-the-line avionics system, the Bell 505 also has more rear cabin room than any other aircraft in its class. With removable seats, wraparound windows and a fully flat floor, the helicopter is meant to adapt to the user and their needs, not the other way around.
Hear directly from Bell’s Dan McQuestin as he takes you inside and around the Bell 505, showing you just how versatile it is:
The diverse geography found in New Zealand – towering mountain ranges, dramatic coastlines, deep valleys – requires a fuel-efficient helicopter that is capable of handling rapidly changing weather conditions and difficult flying environments.
The Bell 505 is the only platform in its class with a dual-channel FADEC Arrius 2R engine in place, allowing it to generate more power at altitude, better its hot and high performance and efficiently use fuel. In addition, a two-bladed rotor system with higher inertia provides excellent auto-rotational capability, giving the rotorcraft a powerful lift without any excess drag.
Fly along with New Zealand's Grant Silvester as he pilots a Bell 505 around the rugged terrain of the South Island:
The veteran pilot likes the Bell 505's power, performance and the views it offers, saying the helicopter is the perfect match for a place as beautiful as New Zealand. Listen on as Grant gets technical with the aircraft:
About Bell
Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us.
We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were a part of NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility.
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours.
Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront.
Contact details
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- Alexis Baird
- Innovation and Commercial Business for Europe, Middle East and Africa
- kbaird@bellflight.com
- +1 817-487-1020
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- Gianna Messina
- Commercial Business, The Americas
- gmessina@bellflight.com
- 682-219-3532
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