SKY HIGH IN AFRICA WITH THE BELL 505
The Bell 505 is the newest force in the market that includes a high-tech flight deck and an adaptable cabin design that makes it an extremely cost-competitive, and capable aircraft for any challenge.
The sky is the limit with the new Bell 505 and Africa has taken note. With a growing fleet in the African Continent and operating in several countries in the region including South Africa, Botswana and Ethiopia, the Bell 505 is attracting great interest and fast becoming an incredible success.
Formally introduced to the world in 2014 at the HAI Heli-Expo in Anaheim, California, the Bell 505 is a five-seat, spacious cabin, light single turbine engine helicopter loaded with the latest avionics and engine technology.
From the Garmin G1000H NXi avionics to a dual-channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), the 505 is Bell’s entry-level offering seeking to recapture a market once dominated by the Bell 206.
In just over three years, the Bell 505 fleet has grown to more than 250 aircraft operating in 55 countries, 25 of those aircraft are being operated in Africa and the Middle East regions. To date, the 505 fleet has flown over 50,000 hours. Every day the aircraft performs a wide variety of missions from police agencies keeping their cities safe, long-line operators taking crews or delivering supplies to remote inaccessible areas, militaries training of future pilots, to private individuals taking advantage of a fast and reliable means of transportation.
Within the short light single segment, the Bell 505 is the most advanced aircraft in the market. Equipped with the fully integrated avionics’ suite Garmin G1000H NXi, the Bell 505 provide enhanced situational awareness and reduced pilot workload to ensure every mission is a success. The Garmin G1000H NXi Primary Flight Display (PFD) provides critical flight and engine parameters in an easy to read, colour-coded, format which combined with aural alerts ensures the pilot has a complete picture of the aircraft’s current status. With optional Synthetic Vision, a three-dimensional representation of the terrain and traffic is presented on the PFD similar to how it would appear outside of the windscreen. Terrain is colour-coded based on the aircraft’s proximity and, combined with aural alerts, alert pilots to impending incursions.
The second screen or Multi-Function Display (MFD) displays maps, charts, weight and balance diagrams, and other supporting information, providing enhanced situational awareness and reducing the pilot’s overall workload. The MFD also allows pilots to process live data such as weather, traffic and terrain to ensure the complete situational picture is presented to the pilots. Utilising the optional Flight Stream 510, pilots can automatically upload flight plans and database updates from a compatible portable device. The Flight Stream 510 is computable with portable devices, allowing third screen usage for further situational awareness.
Equipped with a powerful 505 shp turbine engine, the 505 is the first Bell aircraft to utilise Safran technology. The Arrius 2R is the newest offering in the Arrius engine family and has accumulated millions of successful flight hours through multiple helicopter manufacturers all over the world. The Arrius 2R provides a variety of features that add to the reliability and safety of the 505 from dual-channel FADEC to Flame Out Protection System (FOPS).
The dual-channel FADEC utilises a redundant channel control system to maintain the turbine engine at peak performance. FADEC allows the 505 to eliminate any mechanical throttle linkage and provide a single switch automated starting that eliminates the chance for a pilot induced hot start. Digital engine control provides smooth and consistent rotor speed as well as better fuel economy by setting fuel flow to the optimised limit based on the required power setting. The Engine Control System also includes a third backup channel that, if channel A and B on the Electronic Control Unit (FADEC) fail, the Auxiliary Control Unit (ACU) will use a backup actuator to control fuel flow around the last position of the main fuel nozzle to allow fuel to continue to flow to the engine. In addition, FOPS provides a preference flame tube that has a dedicated fuel line and bypass valve. In the event of a fuel blockage, the preference flame tube would re-light the engine maintaining thrust and safety of flight.
The Arrius 2R provides best in class power to the 505, giving the aircraft the ability to hover at over 10,000 feet out of ground effect and to have a service ceiling of up to 22,500 feet density altitude. To facilitate overhauls and / or replacements, the Arrius 2R is comprised of two modular sections, the hot section and the gearbox section.
With more rear-cabin room than any aircraft in its class, removable seats and a flat floor with embedded tie-downs, the 505 provides versatility and comfortability for operators around the world.The aircraft quickly converts from passenger transport to moving cargo and goods. Providing ample space for passengers and their baggage or important cargo, the 505’s cabin boasts best-in-class 99 cubic feet of usable volume and an 18 cubic foot cargo bay. The Bell 505 includes a 2,000-pound cargo hook capability providing additional uses for operators to serve the community or add revenue streams to their businesses.
Whilst new to the market, the 505 incorporates the high inertia rotor system from the 206 Long Ranger. A high inertia rotor system provides the pilot more time to react to an engine failure and enter an autorotation without the rotor slowing down too much, providing a better cushion and a safer landing. The millions of flight hours on these systems provide operators the assurance of reliability, knowing that they can not only trust the operating cost numbers, but they can also rely on the aircraft.
Being the most recently certified short light single helicopter on the market, the Bell 505 meets the latest industry safety standards by featuring crash attenuating seats, a crashresistant fuel system and four-point seat belts for all occupants.Technology like the Garmin G1000H NXi integrated avionics’ suite creates additional situation awareness, whilst the dual-channel FADEC reduces pilot workload. Many 505 operators will attest that the 505’s redundant systems create an extra level of security which allows their pilots to learn and confidently fly the 505 faster than other aircraft, allowing them to integrate the aircraft into their operations more quickly.
For over 85 years, Bell has revolutionised the vertical flight arena and for over five decades, the Bell 206 was the undisputable leader of the short light single segment, bringing quality and unmatched potential to the market. The Bell 505 is ready to take over!
The mission awaits!
Adding to its new features and multiple capabilities, the Bell 505 provides hydraulically powered cyclic and
collective controls to maintain low control forces. A panel-mounted switch allows pilots to cycle hydraulic power on and off to provide additional training opportunities for
new pilots to practise flying through hydraulic failures.