Bell Helicopter has finally secured long-overdue European certification for its 505 Jet Ranger X, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the region in early 2018.
The 505 originally gained approval from lead agency Transport Canada in late 2016, with the US Federal Aviation Administration following suit in June this year.
Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency was expected in the same timeframe but has been held up for undisclosed reasons.
“This is an important milestone for the Bell 505 and the timing of the news is very exciting,” says Glenn Isbell, executive vice-president, customer support and services at Bell.
“We are hosting our first Bell 505 European operators this month at our Bell Training Academy in Fort Worth and the first aircraft in the region is scheduled to be delivered at the beginning of 2018.”
Meanwhile, certification in the United Arab Emirates is ongoing, ahead of a planned first delivery in the country to an undisclosed operator before year-end.
The Safran Helicopter Engines Arrius 2R-powered light-single is also equipped with a Garmin G1000H avionics suite.
Bell lists the Jet Ranger X as having a maximum take-off weight of 1,670kg (3,680lb) and a maximum cruise speed of 128kt (237km/h).
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Source: Cirium Dashboard
