Most people who entered the doors of the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, to attend the 2014 edition of the Helicopter Association International’s annual convention, Heli-Expo, on Feb. 25 headed straight for the Bell Helicopter booth. A massive floor-to-ceiling arced screen had been set up, cornering off a significant portion of the display. One hour after the show floor opened, hundreds of people were gathered in anticipation as Bell’s CEO, John Garrison, entered a small stage beside the screened-off area.
Garrison and several members of the team that helped design a new helicopter, communicating through video footage, spoke about the details of the product that was about to be introduced. Majestic footage accompanied by goose-bump-inducing music brought the mood to a climax before the screen finally dropped, unveiling Bell’s latest introduction to the civilian helicopter market — the 505 Jet Ranger X. To allow more potential customers to get up close and personal with the new design at the show, Bell unveiled not one but three 505 mock-ups appropriately colored red, white and blue.
