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The Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is a light helicopter produced by the American Bell Helicopter company. First unveiled in 2013 at the Paris Airshow, the Jet Ranger X is meant to be a light personal transport. It’s a complete clean sheet design, meaning that Bell did not adapt an earlier model, but started from scratch. Even though it is a new helicopter, some of the dynamic components have been reused from other models since they have proven their operational merit. This is one measure that has helped keep the cost of the Jet Ranger down. The Jet Ranger X first took flight in 2014 and was introduced on the 7th of March 2017. Customers can order one for about a million US dollars. The airframe is made from metal and various modern composites. The Jet Ranger X is equipped with a single Turbomeca Arrius 2R, which produces 504 shaft horsepower. This gives the helicopter a useful payload of 680 kg. The Jetranger has room for the pilot and four passengers. It can take those passengers as far as 644 km and achieve a maximum speed of 232 kilometers per hour. That payload can also be applied to external cargo mounted on a cargo hook.Since the Jet Ranger has only very recently been put into production, only about three units have been built, but Bell has reported at least 350 letters of intent to purchase at the end of 2016.
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