China's Reignwood Aviation is set to become the largest fleet operator of the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X light-single helicopter after it announced a 50-ship order to be delivered over the next three years.

"There has been an overwhelming global response since the initial launch of the Bell 505, and we are thrilled to have Reignwood as one of our largest operators of this incredible aircraft in China," Patrick Moulay, Reignwood's executive vice president, said.

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The helicopters will join Reignwood Aviation's fleet that includes the Bell 206, 407GX and 429.

"We are excited to be celebrating this milestone with our friends at Bell Helicopter and are eager to begin operating our fleet of Bell 505s," Galba Zheng, chairman of Reignwood Aviation, said.

"Our partnership with Bell Helicopter is very important to us and they have proven their aircraft and customer support and service to be outstanding," Zheng added.

The Bell 505 is equipped with a robust Safran Arrius 2R engine with dual-channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). Its cockpit features a fully integrated panel with a Garmin G1000H avionics suit. The cabin could be configured to accommodate up to four passengers. It could also be converted for a range of missions and payloads.

Performance-wise, the 505 helicopters have an airspeed of 125 knots, a range of 340 nautical miles, and a useful load of 1,500 pounds. The helicopter was initially designed to replace the Bell 206 JetRanger, which is a long-time leader of the short, light single-engine turbine helicopter market. Price for the Bell 505 starts at $1.07 million, the AOPA reported.

TagsReignwood Aviation, Bell 505 Jet Ranger X light-single helicopter, Bell 505 helicopter, Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter