Bell Textron announced the delivery of the 505th Bell 505 aircraft to North America-based operator, Austin Claborn. The aircraft will be configured for corporate transportation.
“To mark this historic program milestone, Bell wanted to ensure the 505th delivery was a memorable event for our many employees that have worked on this program, our suppliers and our Bell 505 customers,” said Lane Evans, director of North America Sales. “The Bell 505 was designed to provide customers with unmatched cost-of-operations and performance for its value. Mr. Claborn has been a Bell 505 operator since 2021 and with the upgrade to the latest platform variant, Bell is proud the aircraft continues to live up to our customer’s expectations.”
Certified by Transport Canada in 2016, the Bell 505 is one of Bell’s fastest-growing commercial programs to date. The aircraft’s fleet has surpassed more than 185,000 flight hours with aircraft operating on six continents worldwide.
“The Bell 505 has been nothing short of fantastic for us,” said Austin Claborn. “The technology in the cockpit makes the aircraft incredibly reliable and easy to fly. The team at Bell has been exemplary in their dedication to customer service and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the 505th delivery.”
The delivery ceremony took place at the Bell Textron Canada Ltd. facility in Mirabel, Quebec where more than 1,400 highly skilled employees are responsible for Bell’s current commercial production line, including the Bell 505, Bell 407GXi, Bell 429 and SUBARU Bell 412EPX. To date, the company has built and delivered more than 5,800 commercial helicopters.
With a speed of 125 knots and a useful load of 1,500 pounds, the Bell 505 is Bell’s new five-seat aircraft designed for performance, efficiency and reliability using advanced avionics technology. It incorporates proven dynamic components, advanced aerodynamic design, a dual channel FADEC Safran Arrius 2R engine and best-in-class value.
