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Bell Announces 400th Bell 505 Delivery

Bell Textron Inc. on August 4 announced the 400th delivery of a Bell 505 to European customer Al Barratt, co-founder of Grenade and owner of Cotswold Aviation, both based in the United Kingdom. The Bell 505 program, including its manufacture, is primarily led out of Bell’s facility in Mirabel, Quebec.

“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. Bell explains the 505 is one of its fastest growing products for corporate and VIP markets.

“Flying in the 505 is a unique experience and a perfect solution for business travel around the UK and other parts of Europe,” said 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 505 is Bell’s newest five-seat aircraft and includes an integrated Garmin G1000H NXi avionics suite and Safran Arrius 2R engine with dual-channel FADEC.