Autopilot certification enables Bell to further support the UK market with advanced aircraft technology
Fort Worth, TX (June 9, 2021) Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today that the Genesys HeliSAS autopilot in the Bell 505 has received certification from the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
“We are thrilled to offer the Genesys autopilot for the 505 to our customers in the UK,” said Duncan Van De Velde, managing director, Europe and Russia. “The system decreases pilot workload, increases pilot comfort over long distances, and provides assistance in the event of inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).”
It is available in two or three-axis configurations: the two-axis version includes pitch control (altitude hold, IAS Hold) and roll control (HDG hold, NAV, vertical navigation mode), and the three-axis option adds yaw control.
In addition, the system is equipped with:
Stability augmentation system to automatically recover the aircraft to near-level flight attitude at all speeds in the event of adverse roll or pitch
Stability engagement throughout all phases of flight
Envelope protection to prevent over speeding and under speeding
Owners can specify the system on new Bell 505s or have the system retrofitted to existing aircraft through a Genesys Aerosystems approved dealer.
“The UK has been eagerly waiting for autopilot certification for the 505,” said Gary Slater, director and owner, Helix AV. “This is great news for the Bell 505 and further enhances the performance of the aircraft.”
With the latest Garmin avionics, dual channel FADEC-controlled engine and Genesys HeliSAS autopilot, the Bell 505 is the most advanced short light single aircraft on the market. There are more than 300 Bell 505s operating in more than 55 countries across all six continents.
To find out more about the 505, please visit https://www.bellflight.com/products/bell-505.
Press Contact:
Grace Dieb
+1 817‐280‐5384
mediarelations@bellflight.com
About Bell
Thinking above and beyond is what we do. For more than 85 years, we’ve been reimagining the experience of flight – and where it can take us.
We are pioneers. We were the first to break the sound barrier and to certify a commercial helicopter. We were aboard NASA’s first lunar mission and brought advanced tiltrotor systems to market. Today, we’re defining the future of advanced air mobility.
Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas – as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., – we have strategic locations around the globe. And with nearly one quarter of our workforce having served, helping our military achieve their missions is a passion of ours.
Above all, our breakthrough innovations deliver exceptional experiences to our customers. Efficiently. Reliably. And always, with safety at the forefront
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, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information, visit: 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, changing priorities or reductions in the U.S. Government defense budget, including those related to military operations in foreign countries; our ability to perform as anticipated and to control costs under contracts with the U.S. Government; the U.S. Government’s ability to unilaterally modify or terminate its contracts with us for the U.S. Government’s convenience or for our failure to perform, to change applicable procurement and accounting policies, or, under certain circumstances, to withhold payment or suspend or debar us as a contractor eligible to receive future contract awards; changes in foreign military funding priorities or budget constraints and determinations, or changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of military and commercial products; and performance issues with key suppliers, subcontractors or business partners.
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