Bell announced earlier this week that they had delivered the 500th Bell 429 light twin airframe.
The milestone aircraft went to South America's Mendes Group to be used for corporate transport in Brazil.
"The 500th delivery of the Bell 429 marks a significant, historic achievement for the platform and serves as a testament to the value it provides our global customer base,” said Danny Maldonado. Chief Commercial Officer, Bell.
“The Bell 429 fleet continues to grow across all mission segments, specifically for corporate travel, public safety and emergency medical transportation.
"Throughout the aircraft’s history, Bell has introduced numerous platform enhancements to exceed mission requirements.”
Dubbed the GlobalRanger, the Bell 429 prototype first flew in February 2007, with the type entering service in July 2009. Demand for the 429 comes mainly from HEMS operations, although the type is used for law enforcement, oil and gas, utility, and corporate transport.
The world-wide Bell 429 fleet has collectively massed 735,000 operational hours, and last year a father and son team used a Bell 429 to circumnavigation the world.
Australia has about 15 429s on the civil register, and 723 Squadron RAN operated the type from 2012-2019.