XRanger

The 505 is based around Bell’s proven 206L-4 LongRanger’s dynamic components, including blades, rotor head, gearbox, driveshaft and tail rotor assembly and will be manufactured using a blend of metal and composite materials. This, according to Hawker Pacific’s chiefoperating officer – Asia, Tony Jones, was designed to reduce maintenance and to drive down acquisition and ongoing costs. “Cost was a driving factor behind the JRX’s design and it was one of the things we have been very conscious of. When the 206 ceased production in 2010 it was getting a little high for that class of aircraft and a lot of effort has gone into the design of the 505 to make sure it becomes a cost-effective platform for what it does. ” The ‘JetRanger 2. 0’ will be the first Bell to be powered by a Turbomeca engine – the Arrius 2R turbine with dual-channel FADEC. While more accurate numbers will come out as the helicopter goes through its flight test program, on paper the Arrius is expected to propel the five-seat airframe to 125kt, over 360nm, fully loaded with 800kg of passengers or cargo.

“Turbomeca was the only engine manufacturer to match the 505’s development plan and to come up with a dual-channel FADEC on the aircraft,” said Jones. “The Arrius 2R has a 3,000hr time before overhaul and will suite a range of operators. ” Equipped with Garmin’s G1000H avionics suite, comprising two horizontally opposed 10. 4 inch LCD screens, the 505 was designed with substantial input from Bell customers via its Customer Advisory Council (CAC). “Throughout the design process Bell is actively engaging customers to help define what the aircraft needs to be,” said Jones. “Hawker Pacific was one of 20 represented on the CAC who met to discuss the 505’s design every six months over the past three years, providing input from Australian and New Zealand customers. Given our rich history with Bell’s products a lot of input came out of our region and Bell came up with the right balance of features versus costs. ”

Bell has taken more than 180 orders for the JRX since February, including eight orders from Australian and New Zealand customers.

Three versions of the 505 are planned in a corporate, utility and a ‘standard’ configuration, with the latter coming with a US$1,070,000 price tag.

“The JetRanger really has been synonymous with the Australian industry, it’s incredibly popular, and there is a lot of pent-up demand for its replacement,” said Jones. “For the standard aircraft, with its price, I think it will have a tremendous appeal particularly with those that want an entry-level into the Bell brand. ” Spending some time in and out of the 505 mockup will help allay any pre-judged first impressions from the rendered promotional images Bell released at the JRX’s launch. Although Jones does reaffirm that the JRX’s final design is not yet frozen, the mockup on display at Rotortech represents a fairly accurate picture of what customers can expect to see sitting out on their pad. “The mockup is pretty much what the design will be, but with some refinement,” said Jones. “It’s an early stage mockup. Will some of the details change? Most likely. ” From inside the 505, the view from the front is virtually uninterrupted, courtesy of the wrap-around front window, which eliminates the 206-era chin windows. As is the view from all of the three rear seats, bar the 75/25 split doorframe which hinders the view for the window seated passengers when looking perpendicular to travel.

There is no overhead panel or centre console, which adds to the impression of a very spacious interior. Although with carpet and leather seats, the mockup’s interior still has a basic, but a more than adequate feel. GoneBell has taken more than 180 orders for the JRX, including eight from Australian and New Zealand customers. is the ‘broom cupboard’ (centre control rod pillar) and the curved, compartmentalised floor, which is now fully flat. Standard in all variants will be built-in tie-down points in the floor to offer operators to utilise the cabin’s 1. 73m3 to carry either a pilot and four passenger or up to about 800kg of cargo.

Powered down, and the instrument panel looks somewhat bare with not a single analogue instrument in sight – a wet compass mounted above the panel is as close as you will get. Engine, navigation, communication and situational awareness instrumentation is all displayed through the Garmin G1000H system.

“The G1000H is very popular and customers operating the Bell 407GX just love it,” said Jones. “The system is rich in the presentation of information and situational awareness. It features a power situational indicator, which lets you know when you’re getting close to the first limit. Again it’s all about situational awareness so you can keep your eyes mostly out of the cabin. ” Appearing larger overall than a R66, but smaller than a 206, hints of JetRanger heritage are evident in the 505’s design, particularly in the shape of the vertical fin and the twin-bladed teetering rotor head. An interesting aesthetic feature of the JRX is the small footprint of the skid gear and its aft position. This was a design balance of having the skids as big as they needed to be against drag and weight considerations.

Walking clockwise from the nose around the mockup, noticeably impressive is the 0. 5m3 volume of the helicopter’s cargo compartment, accessed from the pilot’s side. The compartment can easily accommodate a couple of sets ofgolf clubs and small suitcases, with room remaining.

Heading down the boom towards a single and almost Robinson-like horizontal stabiliser, the Arrius 2’s exhaust outlet projects up and to the right. Passing the distinctive ‘LongRanger’ tail rotor assembly, the Arrius 2’s oil cooler intake is mounted underneath the fuselage-to-tail boom join. The fuel filler for the 325lt fuel tank is on the co-pilot’s side.

“I think some people thought the 505 was going to be a direct competitor to the R66, but now that they’ve had the chance to see it, they can now make their own decision on where it sits in the market,” said Jones. “They are quite distinctly different and I think in terms of the amount of space you have available in the cabin, the visibility, if you compared them side-by-side, the 505 is quite a different aircraft to the 66. ” Bell is currently building a new factory for the 505 production line at Lafayette Regional Airport, Louisiana. With the first prototype due to fly before the end of the year, Transport Canada certification will be granted first following an extensive flight test program, which is expected to be closely followed by FAA and EASA certifications. Deliveries for the first JRXs are slated to start in 2016.

“I think Australia and New Zealand will be amongst the early batches of deliveries,” said Jones. “Having the LongRanger head, blades and dynamic components will help us with our goal of getting the 505 to market as soon as possible. It will also pick up some great flying characteristics out of that also, particularly with auto-rotation, the tail rotor authority. ” To control the price of the JRX, Bell has limited the amount of options and customisations available on the aircraft. Available from the factory in six colours with four pin striping designs, the 505’s optional extras will include cargo hook, air-conditioning, leather seats, skid fairing, carpet, just to name a few. Other features like pop-out floats are expected to come after certification.

Jones says while there has been plenty of interest from the private market, a number of commercial operators have been attracted to the JRX due to its low capital investment and promised day-to-day operating costs. “We have seen an interesting balance between private market, who are wanting in with a new Bell product with a full warranty at a very cost-effective entry price, and operators with a keen eye on their business who are wanting the efficiency and operational gains from this aircraft. ” There are still around 2,800 JetRangers in operation globally, of which about 230 are registered in Australia. As a clean-sheet design, to meet the latest Part 27 certification standards, the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X offers the promise of being basic yet fully-featured, affordable, safe and quick.