Bell Helicopter announced that the Bell Helicopter Lafayette Assembly Center is officially open for business in Lafayette, La., where the company will assemble the new commercial helicopter, the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X. <\/p>\n
Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Secretary Steven Grissom and other state, regional and local officials joined Bell Helicopter\u2019s president and CEO, John Garrison, to commemorate the occasion today at the Lafayette Regional Airport. (Pictured Left to Right: Jason el Koubi, Al Gonsoulin, Bell Helicopter president and CEO John Garrison, general manager of the Bell Helicopter Lafayette Aircraft Assembly Center Paul Watts, Joel Robideaux, Joey Durel. Photo taken by: Jon Steele)<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s dedication of the Bell Helicopter Lafayette Assembly Center opens a new era in Louisiana\u2019s rich history in aerospace. From the original home of Delta Airlines, to pre-World War II aircraft assembly operations, to NASA\u2019s space shuttle program and its current mission that will send manned flights to the moon and Mars, Louisiana has played a leading role in flight,\u201d said Governor Bobby Jindal. \u201cBell Helicopter recognized these historic accomplishments, along with the major energy-related transportation companies in our state that rely on helicopter transit. We\u2019re proud that Louisiana\u2019s rapidly improving business climate, our outstanding workforce and our unmatched quality of life led Bell Helicopter to make Louisiana its state of choice for this aerospace project, which will benefit our people for generations to come.\u201d
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\nThe new 82,300-square-foot, $26.3 million hangar facility is built on a 14.5-acre site and Bell Helicopter will lease the facility from the Lafayette Regional Airport. The project was funded by the State of Louisiana and the company plans to invest $11.4 million in equipment and tooling. Bell Helicopter is ramping up the hiring process for the facility, and assembly operations are expected to start early this year with deliveries to follow in 2016 after certification of the aircraft. The facility is expected to create 115 new jobs in Lafayette.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is priced to compete and offers an exceptional combination of value, performance and features available on the market,\u201d said Garrison. \u201cWe look forward to delivering this aircraft to our customers around the world and want to thank the state of Louisiana and Lafayette parish for going above and beyond to support our business.\u201d <\/p>\n
The grand opening marks the one year anniversary of the facility\u2019s groundbreaking. At the ceremony, guests were able to tour the facility \u2013 getting up close with the Bell 505 flight simulator, and view the first Bell 505 engine delivered to the facility \u2013 the Turbomeca Arrius 2R.<\/p>\n
To date, Bell Helicopter has received more than 350 letters of intent from around the globe for the Bell 505. The five-seat, single-engine, turbine helicopter leverages Bell Helicopter\u2019s proven technology and nearly half a century of experience defining the short light single market with the original Bell JetRanger.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are excited to have successfully reached this milestone of the facility opening, and our proud to share in this moment with our customers, employees, suppliers and the Lafayette community,\u201d said Paul Watts, general manager of the Bell Helicopter Lafayette Aircraft Assembly Center. \u201cThis advances us one step closer to production and delivery of this aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a cruise speed of 125 knots (232 km\/h), range of 360 nautical miles (667 km) and useful load of 1,500 pounds (608 kg), the Bell 505 is designed to be safe and easy to fly while remaining affordably priced. The customer-driven design of the aircraft places safety, performance and affordability at the forefront, blending proven systems with advanced technology and a sleek, modern design. 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).<\/p>\n