Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), announced today its participation in the 15th bi-annual Aviation Expo China, held September 25 to 28 in Beijing, China. Bell Helicopter will have a strong presence as an exhibitor, featuring the Bell 429 on display in its booth.

“The 2013 Aviation Expo China presents a great opportunity for us to connect with our commercial customers in China and the Asia-Pacific region,” said Danny Maldonado, Bell Helicopter’s executive vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing. “We will showcase the Bell 429, which is an exceptional platform for our Chinese customers, and promote the capabilities of our recently announced SLS and our popular Bell 407. There will also be opportunities to learn more about our industry-leading customer service and support and how we are meeting the aftermarket needs of our customers in the region.”

Bell Helicopter has partnered with its independent representative, Reignwood, to have a Bell 429 on display during the Aviation Expo. The Bell 429 has received worldwide accolades for its luxury seating, glass cockpit and superior speed, making it the first choice for a variety of operations around the globe. The Bell 429 is in service today with customers in Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia Pacific across all market segments, including oil and gas, parapublic, helicopter air ambulance and corporate/VIP.

The Bell 407GX is one of Bell Helicopter’s most versatile aircraft, with more than 1,000 in the fielded fleet. Featuring the Garmin G1000H^TM avionics package and enhanced safety features, the Bell 407GX performs a variety of missions and also makes an excellent training aircraft.

Announced in June, the SLS is a five-seat, entry-level aircraft scheduled to complete first flight in 2014. It will feature a high visibility, fully flat cabin floor with five forward-facing seats and is designed to meet performance targets including a speed of 125 knots (232 km), a range of 360 to 420 nautical miles (667 km) and a useful load of 1,500 pounds (608 kg). Powered by the Turbomeca Arrius 2R engine, the SLS is designed to meet customer requirements for a high performance, high value helicopter at a very competitive price.

Aviation Expo China is the only civil and military aviation exhibition in Beijing. The biennial event has the support of top China aviation authorities and brings together Chinese and international companies specializing in supplying equipment, services and technology. The expo has received the endorsement of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality and has been granted approval as a UFI approved event by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.