Image: Bell
A law enforcement-configured Bell 505 Jet Ranger X has been delivered to the Sacramento Police Department, Bell announced on Monday. It was the first 505 Jet Ranger X sold to any law-enforcement agency, according to Bell. The aircraft had several modifications to be prepared for police work, including high skid gear, hard points fore and aft for securing equipment, and ergonomic seats for comfort on long flights, such as when searching for suspects or missing people. Bell says the 505 can seat up to five and is designed to be “safe and easy to fly.”
The Jet Ranger X flies up to 125 knots and can carry up to 1,500 pounds. Other features of the aircraft that appealed to the police mission, according to Bell Senior Vice President Jay Ortiz, include best-in-class visibility, the Garmin G1000H flight deck and the cost of operations. Other additional equipment includes a 15-inch monitor with a moving map system for airborne searches, a megaphone and searchlight, and a video tracking device. The modified helicopter cost the city about $2.7 million.
