FORT WORTH, TX (February 27, 2014) –Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT) announced the sale of two Bell 407GX aircraft to the state-owned Beidahuang Group of Harbin, China. The two aircraft will be used to assist with agricultural work such as seeding, fertilization and crop management and also for personnel transport. 

“As the rotorcraft industry continues to advance in China, our customers are looking at the aircraft as a means to improve the productivity of their business,” said Chris Jaran, managing director for Bell Helicopter in China. “The Beidahuang Group is one such customer who came to us with a specific need that we were able to fulfill through the versatility of the Bell 407GX.” 

Featuring the Garmin G1000H™ avionics package and enhanced safety features, the Bell 407GX is adaptable to a variety of missions.  Its reliability, speed and performance make it the ideal aircraft for a variety of market segments. The interior can easily be changed to accommodate any mission from passenger transport to a more utilitarian mission. 

“Beidahuang selected the Bell 407GX to be our first helicopter because of its excellent multi-mission capability,” said Mr. Guo Qingcai, general manager of Beidahuang General Aviation Co., Ltd.  “We will use the two aircraft primarily for agriculture operations. However, we see potential in numerous other markets and will expand their mission portfolio as we expand our capabilities.” 

Headquartered in Harbin, Beidahuang Group is a conglomerate of China state-owned agribusinesses. The Beidahuang General Aviation Company, a subsidiary of the Beidahuang Group, was established in 1985 and currently operates more than 50 fixed wing aircraft. The Bell 407GXs will be the company’s first rotorcraft in operation.

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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 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. 

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