With a luxurious 88-square-foot cabin and space to fit 20 passengers in boardroom-style comfort, the Bell 525 Relentless is likely to make some high-flyers seriously happy when it takes to the skies this year.
The manufacturers of the state-of-the-art helicopter, Textron, are yet to officially release a price but industry observers are listing it at a whopping $15million (£10.12m) for what looks effectively like a living room that can fly just about anywhere.
Once it flies for the first time a little behind schedule, the helicopter will cruise at a maximum of 178 miles per hour and with its 2,4000-litre fuel capacity be able to fly up to 575 miles without stopping.
The Bell 525 Relentless is due to make its maiden flight this year with purchasers forking out $15million (£10.12m) for their own
The commercial helicopter has a luxurious 88-square-foot cabin and space to fit 20 passengers in boardroom-style comfort
A range of configurations can be chosen by the buyers, who are expected to use the craft for offshore oil and gas missions
The craft is aimed to be a limo in the sky for offshore oil and operations and also expects to be used for difficult search-and-rescue and firefighting missions due to its huge capacity and improved control in tough conditions.,
'The Bell 525 Relentless is a marvel of modern technology that will provide our customers capability beyond expectations,' Fred Hees, CEO of BBM Inc which is one of the first companies to purchase the 525, told helicopterinvestor.com.
The company says their Bell 525 will be configured to 'perform head of state transport throughout the region' while another purchaser K Aircraft Leasing, will rent their two 525s out to Middle East-based oil and gas companies.
Ireland-based Waypoint Leasing has also tentatively agreed to buy 20 of the helicopters, reports the Wall Street Journal, before the craft even makes it maiden flight.
One early buyer calls the helicopter, which looks like a living room that can fly anywhere, 'a marvel of modern technology'
Another deluxe interior option for the helicopter which looks like it should be a private jet rather than a helicopter
Depending on the configuration of the interior, the 525 will hold 16 or 20 passengers along with the two flight crew with what the builders say is best in class passenger cabin height (137cm) and floor area (8.2 square metres).
The 525 is also the first commercial helicopter to incorporate fly-by-wire flight controls, which they say delivers 'superior handling qualities and increased level of safety' with features that, among other things, stabilise the aircraft without the need of input from the pilot.
Depending on the chosen configuration, the 525 will hold 16 or 20 passengers along with the two flight crew
The manufacturers say the 525 boasts best in class passenger cabin height (137cm) and floor area (8.2 square metres)
The exterior has an advanced aerodynamic design, a Next Generation GE engine and 'best-in-class payload-range capability'
For the technically savvy, it is also the first commercial craft if its kind to include the Garmin G5000H, a glass touchscreen avionics suite for the flight deck that replaces knobs and switches with what they say are simpler controls and information, such as weather, charts, traffic, terrain and Global connectivity options, for the pilot. For the 525 it's been rebranded as the ARC Horizon system.
The slick exterior of the chopper, which looks like something Iron Man wouldn't be adverse to taking a ride in, of course has an advanced aerodynamic design, a Next Generation GE engine and an airframe that offers 'best-in-class payload-range capability'.
