Bell 505 Jet Ranger X (c/n 65293, OK-RAA), flying display during the 2026 edition of Letecký den Cheb (Aviation Day Cheb), Cheb, August 2026.
The Bell 505 light utility rotorcraft was developed in the early 2010s by Bell Textron. Initially designated as the Bell SLS (an abbreviation of Short-Light-Single), the design was first presented to the public at the 2013 Paris Air Show. The following year, the helicopter was redesignated as the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X in reference to its well-known predecessor, the Bell 206 Jet Ranger.
Despite being a completely new design, the Bell 505’s construction uses several components from previously manufactured Bell rotorcraft, such as the rotor system of the Bell 206. The helicopter features a mixed metal-composite construction and is powered by a single Safran Arrius 2R turboshaft engine.
The Bell 505 can carry up to five persons (usually a pilot and four passengers) and has an internal useful load of 680 kg (1,500 lbs). In addition, the helicopter can be equipped with an external hook providing an external useful load of 1,041 kg (2,295 lbs).
The rotorcraft is equipped with a modern, fully integrated Garmin G1000H avionics suite, including two 10.4” LCD screens. The Bell 505 has a range of 617 km (383 miles) and a service ceiling of 5,670 m (18,610 ft).
The new Bell helicopter performed its first flight on 10 November 2014. Serial production was launched in 2016, initially at the company’s facility in Louisiana, United States. Two years later, it was announced that manufacturing of the Bell 505 would move to Quebec, Canada.
The first serially manufactured Bell 505 was delivered to its customer in March 2017. In a short time, the rotorcraft became a popular choice for government law enforcement agencies, especially in the United States. Nevertheless, the Bell 505 also acquired several private operators as customers and was purchased by several armed forces for training purposes.
In mid-2018, the 100th example of the Jet Ranger X was manufactured and delivered to its customer. In 2023, the number of built Bell 505 helicopters exceeded 500 examples.
Interestingly, in 2023 the Bell 505 became the first single-engine rotorcraft certified to fly using the Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X featured in our Photo of the Week series was manufactured in 2021. Registered as OK-RAA, the rotorcraft was used in the Czech Republic for about a year. The helicopter was then sold to Germany, where it has remained in the hands of a private operator ever since, although it still retains its original Czech registration.
During the last weekend of August 2026, this Bell 505 rotorcraft participated in the latest edition of Letecký den Cheb, where it was presented to the air show spectators in an attractive flying display.
