Bell Helicopter has followed up on this week's successful maiden sortie of its new 505 Jet Ranger X by sealing a tentative commitment for 50 examples of the light single from Chinese company Reignwood Investment.

The letter of intent covering the deal was signed at a ceremony held at Airshow China in Zhuhai.

Reignwood, an existing customer for the 505 with a 10-unit order in place, will use the helicopters for travel and tourism purposes, says Bell. In addition, Reignwood operates a range of other Bell types - including 206s, 407GXs and 429s - in a range of roles across China.

“We are pleased to work with Bell Helicopter on this agreement and are confident the new Bell 505 is the ideal solution to meet our requirements,” says Reignwood’s director of aviation Zheng Gang.

“We are excited to welcome the Bell 505 to China and to the Reignwood fleet. This order increases Reignwood’s commitment to 60 Bell 505s on order.”

The Turbomeca Arrius 2R-powered 505 is due for certification and service entry in late 2015.

Source: Cirium Dashboard