Hawker Pacific, the leading aircraft sales and product support company in Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East has congratulated Bell Helicopter on the first successful flight of their Bell 505 Jet Ranger X and is eagerly anticipating the introduction of the aircraft to the region.

The maiden flight took place at Bell Helicopter’s Mirabel, Québec manufacturing facility, lasting approximately 30 minutes and achieved a top speed of 60 knots.

“We are thrilled to congratulate Bell Helicopter on the successful maiden flight of the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X,” said Nick Jones, Hawker Pacific’s Vice President, Aircraft Sales.

“The Australian market has been highly anticipating the latest evolution of the Bell 206 Jet Ranger. The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, with its improved performance and modern technology, is set to be a leader in the short-light single class and aims to achieve the same successful operational reputation as its predecessor. The life-size mock-up of the Bell 505 received immense interest during its time in-country earlier this year; this first flight has been an eagerly awaited milestone. Hawker Pacific looks forward to the certification of the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X next year.”

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X at this year's HeliExpo | Photo: Bell Helicopter

Hawker Pacific debuted a mock-up of the aircraft at the 2014 RotorTech exhibition in May; the event allowed Australian operators a unique opportunity to observe the helicopter up close and learn about its exciting features and class-leading capabilities.

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is a five-seat, single-engine turbine helicopter and has a cruise speed of 125+ knots, offering best-in-class performance with a range of more than 360 nautical miles and a useful load of 1,500 pounds.

The customer-driven sleek modern design of the Jet Ranger X is the first SLS to incorporate a fully integrated high-visibility cockpit. The Garmin G1000H Integrated Avionics Suite will provide pilots critical flight information at a glance. Powered by the Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine, the Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) further reduces pilot workload. Additional enhanced safety features include a high inertia rotor system delivering superior autorotation capabilities.

The aircraft is designed to meet a wide variety of missions with its fully flat floor, increased cabin volume and clam shell doors that will provide customers the configuration flexibility needed in today's market. It can support a wide variety of operation categories, including the utility segment, corporate and private owners, and training schools.

Hawker Pacific is the appointed distributor for Bell Helicopter products throughout Australia and New Zealand.