Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, delivered the 400th Bell 505 to European businessman Al Barratt. Al Barratt is the co-founder of Grenade and owner of Cotswold Aviation, both companies based in the United Kingdom. Mr. Barratt accepted the customized Bell 505 delivery in the presence of the Bell leadership team, at a ceremony held at Bell’s Mirabel, Canada facility.
“The Bell 505 is an incredible aircraft, and we are proud to celebrate the 400th delivery to Mr. Barratt,” said LaShan Bonaparte, vice president, Commercial Sales, Bell. “The Bell 505 provides outstanding performance capabilities, modern avionics and a versatile cabin for our customers. This will be a great addition to Cotswold Aviation’s fleet.”
The first Bell 505 was delivered in 2017, and as of August 2022, there are 400 Bell 505 helicopters operating on six different continents. The Bell 505 is one of the company’s fastest-growing products for corporate and VIP markets. Catering to the quickly growing demand for the helicopter, Bell has been continuously producing new technologies for the Bell 505 including an enhanced avionic suite and auto-pilot capabilities.