Bell Helicopter Wins Contract for Up to 20 Aircraft at Helitech International

September 24, 2013

London, England - September 24, 2013 - Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), announced today at Helitech International 2013 a signed agreement with Avincis Group for the sale of up to 20 helicopters comprised of the Bell 429, Bell 412 and Bell 412EPI aircraft, largely for use in Life & Rescue operations.

"We're delighted to be able to further develop our long-standing relationship with Bell Helicopter with the purchase of these aircraft, supported by their exceptional after-market service. These aircraft will help us to save more lives as we grow our global business," said James Drummond, CEO of Avincis Group.

Avincis Group is the world's leading provider of aerial services for mission-critical operations such as medical emergency, civil protection, search and rescue, coast and city surveillance, firefighting and energy support services. The company operates more than 350 aircraft around the world and flew more than 50,600 emergency healthcare missions last year alone.

"This agreement represents a significant milestone in the long and successful partnership between Avincis and Bell Helicopter. Once again, we are honored to be an important part of Avincis' future global growth," said John Garrison, Bell Helicopter's CEO. "The Bell 429 is becoming the new standard in the light twin engine helicopter air ambulance segment as we continue to expand our customer base across Europe and around the world."

One of the most advanced light twin helicopters ever developed, the Bell 429 delivers exceptional speed, range and hover performance, as well as comfort and cost management unmatched by any other aircraft in its category. Equipped with a fully-integrated glass cockpit, advanced drive system and best-in-class WAAS navigation and IFR capability, the Bell 429 offers air medical operators exceptional flight performance. Additional safety features include a collective mounted throttle, damage tolerant hub and rotor system, and energy attenuating seats. A spacious cabin with a flat floor, wide 157 cm (62 in.) side doors and optional rear clam-shell doors provide quick, easy access for patient loading and unloading.

The Bell 412 features a 220 ft3 cabin, seating thirteen passengers and two crew members. It is certified for single pilot IFR with a Pratt & Whitney PT6T-3D Twin Pac® engine. The Bell 412EPI offers a rugged airframe built with safety in mind, upgraded engines and the Bell BasiX Pro™ Integrated Avionics System, which includes four 10.4" high resolution LCD primary/multi-function display units for vital flight information in an easy-to-scan layout. This system is specifically designed to meet the requirements of twin-engine helicopters and is optimized for IFR, Category A and JAR OPS3 compliant operations. The Bell 412EPI avionics suite also includes high resolution digital maps, electronic charts and approach plates, ADS-B transponder and optional HTAWS and XM satellite links.

Left to right: Sebastien Moulin (Bell Helicopter Regional Sales Manager), Kate Hill (Avincis Group Communications Director), Martin Whittaker (Avincis Group Fleet and Engineering Director), James Drummond (Avincis Group CEO), John Garrison (Bell Helicopter CEO), Eric Cardinali (Bell Helicopter Executive Vice President, Customer Support and Services) and Patrick Moulay (Bell Helicopter Managing Director, Europe)

About Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell's global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.

About Avincis Group
Avincis is the world's leading provider of aerial services for mission-critical operations such as medical emergency, civil protection, search & rescue, coast and city surveillance, fire fighting and energy support services. Based in the UK, the Group provides central resources, safety and operating standards and systems and expertise to its operating companies who serve local markets and customers in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Chile, Peru, UK, Norway, Australia and Ireland. Of primary importance is the Group’s oversight of safety standards across all its operations, with a global target of zero accidents. In 2012, the Group flew over 108,500 hours worldwide. Website: www.avincisgroup.com

About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.

Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders and difficult conditions in the financial markets which may adversely impact our customers' ability to fund or finance purchases of our products.

Press Contacts

Bell Helicopter:
Susan Gordon
817-280-3100
mediarelations@bh.com

Online Media Kit | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Avincis Group:
Kate Hill
+44 (0) 20 7932 1600
+44 (0) 7899 792991
khill@avincisgroup.com

Connect with Textron IR

David Rosenberg, Vice President, Investor Relations
(401) 457-2288
Kyle Williams, Manager, Investor Relations
(401) 457-2288

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