Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), has announced it will showcase the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X for the first time at the 8th Africa Aerospace and Defense (AAD) in Tshwane, South Africa from September 17-19.

“We are excited about having such a great opportunity to expand our presence in Africa and allow our regional customers the chance to see the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X mockup,” said Steve Suttles, Bell Helicopter’s managing director in the Middle East and Africa. “With an installed fleet of nearly 180 aircraft in South Africa, we are excited to showcase this modern commercial product and generate new excitement and growth opportunities, especially for our customers currently operating older Jet Ranger models.”

Bell Helicopter estimates that there are more than 170 Bell 206 JetRangers operating in Africa, with nearly all of them more than 20 years old.

The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is a customer-driven design, blending the proven systems of the Bell 206 with advanced technology and a sleek, modern design. The Bell 505 places safety, performance and affordability at its forefront. The Garmin G1000H Integrated Avionics Suite provides pilots critical flight information at a glance to maximize situational awareness. Pilot workload is further reduced by the Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine with dual channel Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC). The Bell 505 features a high inertia rotor system delivering superior autorotation capabilities. With the ideal combination of speed, range and useful load, the Jet Ranger X is designed to deliver best-in-class performance.

AAD takes place biannually in September and brings together various industries from throughout the world and showcases the latest technological innovations within this sector.

“We anticipate a great response to our products in South Africa this week,” added Suttles. “The Bell 505 is perfectly suited for the missions that are most commonly operated in this region, especially corporate transport, game management and training.”

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, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit www.textron.com.