I was a mechanic in the Gulf of Mexico oil patch in the 1970s. Most of my offshore experience was with the Bell 206B III and 206L I ships. Our pilots were mostly Vietnam vets and they were the absolute best. I always felt safe with them, including during one autorotation forced by a failure of the centrifugal compressor diffuser casting and N1 dropped to nearly zero over Matagorda Island in a brand new ship. We were starting to get A-Stars in the fleet but the Bells were always number one in my book.
Thank you for going through the expense and the trouble of providing this very balanced and informative video! Based on the information you provided, I am TOTALLY SOLD - on the R-66! I operate a flight school, charter and tour operation with a modest fleet of R22 and R44s. The R66 looks almost identical to the R44, and with some nominal training on turbine engine starts and systems, it seems that any R44 pilot can transition easily. Also, for the price of the Bell 505, I can purchase both a new R66 and another R44 and substantially increase my lift. For basic charter, tour and training operations, the R66 offers superior payload and range, although the B505 is the "Mercedes". As a businessman, I can generate more income with two Fords than with one Mercedes. I can rent a R66 in my local area for around USD $800 an hour. A Bell product runs for over $1200 per hour. The Bell 505 has the removable seats feature, and would make an excellent package hauler vs. the Robinson product. But other than that, the price does not justify the cost. Of course, if I had a fleet of Jet Ranger helicopters, I would probably add the Bell 505 to my fleet for commonality of pilot and mechanic training. Thank you for this very informative video.
honestly, as a business, it doesnt make any sense for you to buy a 66 either. you could buy 2 44s for the price of 1 66 and youre only getting .5 seats more out of it and a tiny storage compartment... plus now you need to worry about number of starts and flight duration per start. neither a 66 or 505 make sense unless you do a lot of 135 stuff with baggage. then every time you overhaul the 66, you could have purchased a new 44 haha. turbines are just so not worth it unless you have money to piss away or have long term government contracts.
@@RealRickCox uh... you do understand bell has the same problem, right? ROFL. theyre both semi-rigid rotor systems. low-g was discovered in the 70s in hueys.... made by bell. killing soldiers trying to fly low to the ground to avoid gunfire.
Depends on the level of your clients. If you are talking flight school, Robinson rules because they are cheaply constructed and priced. The clients I fly are wealthy and self important. A Robinson is noisy and ugly and not for them. The 505 with leather seats and air conditioning is about as low as they would stoop. If a 505 is all they can get at a particular time, they will pay 1200 an hour, but they won't pay 800 for a Robby. Most that I see prefer the Bell 429 to both of the other two.
Your channel with this video came up as a suggestion for me to watch on UA-cam. I watched this video, along with several other of your videos and you have just made a new fan and subscriber :)
Pilot Yellow does comms to professional perfection. Everytime I hop back into some of his content it jumps out at me. Plus the rest of what he does extremely well. Thanks for the great stuff. It is inspirational and educational. 🙏
Thanks for the terrific video!! Although I've never flown a helicopter I've had an interest in them for years. The guy who taught me to fly fixed wing had been a Bell Cobra pilot for 13 yrs. in the military and our many conversations regarding helicopters led me to develop quite an interest in them.
I really enjoyed this comparison of the two aircraft. It was very informative and should be a great tool for prospective pilots to more understand the costs afforded Owner Operators that otherwise is difficult for them to visualize. Equally, the demonstration of the two really different helicopters broadens the perspectives of pilots no matter how many hours they have. New technologies change everyday. So this plays into the thought process of what someone may want to train in. Thanks so very much!
So been watching a few helicopter tubers and this guy is truly a genuine helicopter pilot. A pleasure watching and learning from his experience of flying helicopters.
The salesman was just that... a salesman. The bald guy seemed to know what he was talking about. I did think it was funny at the beginning when the questions you were asking were more technical than the salesman was. In my opinion the Bell is such a beautiful machine. The lines are classic and traditional. I have always thought the Robinson line is just so ugly. The high rotor setup makes it look fragile and homely. Again, just my opinion. I loved this video. I loved the fly ability apples to apples comparison. Great job to everyone. Great to see Sam still around there.
The, “ salesman” was an experienced Engineer. They al knew what they were talking about. When it comes to safety, you will get what you pay for, and if that won’t worry you a fleet of two seat $50k copters with 200 pounds cargo ability each might be more useful.
Good info and good comparison. Your plan was spot on, but I also find it hard to do all the full tests with borrowed ships. I currently fly the Robinson R-44 Raven II. Couple other thoughts for me as a private pilot. I land in a lot of tight places and the R66 is smaller with same blade diameter at R44. The gadgets are cool on 505, but that alarm was annoying. I also think weight balance inside the ship is a little too late to figure that out IMO. Very hard to kick someone out after they took the trip, although, with the R66 you are less likely going to have to do that. I do all my W&B before flight and plan everything with fuel, etc. I also tell passengers to be light on baggage and bring soft bags. I personally think the R66 is a way better buy for range, load carrying capacity, size, cost, cost to run, insurance, maintenance, familiarity, ease of use, and it has auto pilot which is nice for long trips. The logger in the 505 is nice, but you can add an engine monitor to the R66 to help with resale. I added the G3 Insight to my R44 so you know everything it did during its entire life including engine and rotor over revs. I made a program that will search through all the years of data and look for over revs if interested. Keep up the good work and safe flying! PS. I'm getting a helmet as well soon. You convinced me. :)
I've test-flown the 505 and it's a pretty good helicopter, I would definitely choose it over the 66 because it has an excellent rotor system (I don't like worrying about mast rocking and blade delamination), 3 proper rear seats (unlike the bs 66 rear row), a real cyclic, FADEC, and a much better instrument panel and avionics. But there are some design flaws that they should've addressed.. one of my main gripes was that the beams that the front doors attach to are very wide and this creates a huge blind spot to the sides that really reduces your peripheral vision and you have to move your head far forward or back to see around them. Also, especially with the duals in it's quite difficult to get into the left front seat. The baggage compartment also doesn't compare to the huge one in the 66 with easy access to it. Frankly I find them both to have been fairly lazy efforts from their respective companies.. both reaching to the old parts bin an awful lot and not really innovating in a dramatic way.
I agree with you. I do not know why Bell tends to be lazy with rotor evolution. Decades ago when they made the 222 with the rotor system from the Cobra. Nothing like blades the size of sheets of plywood for a business helicopter. Would have liked to see a new rotor design for the 505 maybe a articulated design with Elastomeric Bearings, 3 or more blades. I think the finance departments play too much of a role with new designs. Like Boeing trying to save money with the 737 MAX instead of redesigning the landing gear (higher) etc.
@@laz288 yes I agree 100%… Boeing, Bell, Robinson, and Cessna are all similar in that aspect. They have all held a good chunk of market share for decades and it seems to have made them very lazy and unimaginative. I guess it’s been working for them so far but we all know how that attitude worked out for the American car industry. I will say that I think part of the problem is the FAA certification process, they really need to revamp it to make it more efficient and less costly without sacrificing safety. It’s ridiculous how glacial the pace of innovation is in the aviation industry. Also agree on the blades, would’ve liked to see a modern 3-blade design. In fact I made a remark about it to one of the Bell guys at Heli-Expo a few years ago when they first debuted the 505. At least the Longranger blades they’re using are proven and safe though, which is more than I can say for Robbie blades.
@@regregan5755 true, but the price difference is only about 200k which is significant but not THAT much. They could have at least gone with an independent cyclic instead of that ridiculous T-bar cyclic if they wanted to be taken seriously. I will say that I have friends that flew R66’s in Nepal and were very impressed with it’s altitude performance except that they all said it was scary in turbulence.
@pagansforbreakfast agree. I guess compared to the traditional bell image 206, 407, 429 etc. It is not what I expected when you look at a bell. Believe me, I am a fan!
Excellent upload. 505 made very interesting comparison with the Soloy 47 I flew back in the 80s (G-SOLY). So much different, but you can still see the family resemblance! Thank you sirs.
Enjoy your videos! I like Bell Helicopters so I’m somewhat prejudiced! The 505 is an awesome Aircraft! I loved the UH-1 Huey we flew in the Military. The civilian models are much more comfortable. The OH6 (MD 500) were under powered in Vietnam and the upgraded engine provided the power needed and made it much more fun to fly! I thoroughly enjoy your videos! Thank you so much for the detailed instructions you provide!
I would never had tought the MD500 / OH-6 was underpowered in comparison to a Bell 206.. The MD500s are alot faster and very agile compared to a 206. But I reckon the BO-105 and Gazelle would have been a steep above them all in their day.
thanks for the reviews and comparisons. Have to admit, I was disappointed when the 505 was launched, looks not great and still a 2 blade machine. But clearly a huge upgrade on the systems and reduced pilot work load. But R66 still quite a bit cheaper, so perhaps for commercial, 505 and for private, 66. But have to admit, If I had the money, I would probably go EC-120
If I'm not mistaken the R66 has a Low Inertia Rotor System and the Bell 505 a High Inertia Rotor System so lets talk about the Safety. Also a crashworthy fuel cell and system standard on the 505. Not sure if that's standard on the R66?
Robinson has bladder fuel tanks so also crash worthy. Robinson also has high impact windscreen to handle impact from 2.2 lb bird up to 100 knots. And Robinson has crumple zone seats to absorb energy on vertical impact.
That’s good info Karl, I wasn’t trying to bash the R66 only stating facts. I have never flown the R66 only the R44 & R22 and I enjoyed flying them. Also flown Bell OH-58, Ah-1f, Uh-1h and there and you can feel the difference in the High Inertia Rotor systems in a auto verses the Roby. But I feel the Roby is a good product, we just need to be aware of the flight envelope at all times and keep the acft out of a low G condition
Lorenzo Ybarra No issue stating facts except your facts are not correct. The Robinson rotor system has a lot of inertia on R-44 and R-66. So much so that you have to be careful not to exceed rotor speed limits and pull up on collective during autos. R-22 has much lower inertia, but still enough to be safe. Lastly, all 2 bladed teeter systems have to stay out of Low-G conditions including Bell 206 and others.
wish I could afford flight school for helicopter. I flew as a crew member in an AS350B2 aka A-star for about a year, 5 days a week in L.A. for a TV news station. Loved it... But if I were to buy a helicopter today I'd get the 505, I love it.... We had jetrangers in the fleet as backup ships when the A star was in for service so I've got flying time in those as well.
My grandfather had a r22 and I wish to follow in his footsteps and also get my pilots licence. I love your guys channel. I'm in the uk I'm going to see if there is a local flight school.
I considered buying a 505 several months ago, but found a good used Buick LeSabre instead. Big difference listening to this pilot vs the sales rep ! That Bell is really good looking. Much better lines than the R66 and clearly a true “next generation” helicopter. Really fun and interesting video !
I love the infamous Gulf - Echo - Alpha - Kilo R66 lol. Missing the Spanish accent on GEAK, lol. Anyone not familiar with the R66 here, they flew it around the world. Look for the "Epic World helicopter tour"
The R66 is a work horse for Ethnos 360 Aviation and is flown in the mountainous regions of Indonesia where runways are not practical to build and roads can be dangerous or nonexistent.
I'm at 18:39 never flown a chopper only once controlled a fixed wing, would Love to fly but too old now and really enjoying this video - I'm feeling like I'm knowing how the craft is working and would love to hold a second stick to feel the hand to inner ear connection. I know that as soon as you fly the first time you're totally screwed - now you want to see Space first hand and then it's "what's that rock out there?" I'd love to feel the stick to experience the hand/stick to inner ear connection like you do with a car or bike or boat but in 3D
Killer drinking game. Shot every time you hear "Ya". Bonus shots on "But Ya". I grew up in an S-58T. I wouldn't know what to do in these little fleas..lol. Thanks - Lumpy
Excellent! I've waited for months to see the 505 actually fly! I reckon the hire rate is going to be a delicate decision,depending purely on the purpose and quality as required by the hirer. Cost appears to favour the Robinson,but for an up to date pilot, the Bell could be the better option. Anyway,thanks for the video,very enjoyable and interesting.
I am curious about your thoughts on egress from the Bell 505. Crew and passengers share the same door and it appears necessary to move forward seats aft to exit. This design philosophy departs from previous Bell products and other existing designs in what looks like weight and or cost savings. Interestingly Bell adopts the same idea for their new Bell 525 which does not feature separate crew doors and requires seats to shift aft on J-tracks to exit. In a hard landing is there any chance that the seats could locked in their flight position due to allowed deformation such that getting out in a hurry is no longer an option?
We'll we know that drivetrain can take 700+ HP, I guess time will tell if the airframe will be able to do the same... Future looks bright for this one.
Ryan Gerth A good airframe 206 yes. But One that’s not going to need blades (main or tail) or TT straps and ptg overhauled with a buttload of time, no.
My Favorite Helios to operate is the Bell 407 and The MD-500 and overall the 505 conversion of the 206 model isn't quite what I would expected to look like but all front Veiws is not to bad
Its my understanding that the 505 is a beast, very powerful for the aircrafts size. However you do pay for that in fuel burn. It looks to me like the 66 is the best entry into turbines and the 505 is the next with the ability to work it harder and impress your friends. Kind of like comparing the Toyota Tercel to a big Lexus sedan. They both do the job. No problems however one is more comfortable, more powerful, and impresses your friends. Thank you and be safe.
Interesting. It's Good to see that there is some carry over from the 206b, such as problematic headsets in the rear haha. As for your other blog regarding a 14yr old flying a helicopter. My mentor and flying instructor was Dennis Kenyon, a world champion freestyle pilot, who sadly passed away in 2020. His son competently flew a Jet ranger from cold to full flight and land at 11yrs old. He could have happily traversed the UK on his own, but for regulations. Unfortunately, he was Killed as a teenager, flying a Hughes 300. The tail boom parted company, and the aircraft became a flying anvil. The cause was a failure of a clevis lug. It turned out the lug was welded (cast), by a welder who wasn't approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. Dennis never got over his son's death. So sad.
As you said, they can be very similar in many ways. But I feel one point was left out and I'd REALLY like to hear your opinion on it Sir. CUSTOMER SUPPORT. I dont know Robinson like you do but I do hear from operators that Bell has EXCELLENT after the sale support. I think that would be worth the price difference? If you would, please chime in. I'm really curious. Fantastic video, I REALLY ENJOY when you do long video's . lol And this one was super informative, as many of them are.
I like the simplicity of the Bell 505, but how will the instruments cope with low temp situations in the winter. Nice to see the comparison of these two very different helicopters. Thanks for the video.
T. W. No problems at all. The Garmin G1000 glass cockpit is the most popular in the world and has been for many years. Cold temps are not a concern with it.
@@jonathanknight89 electronics work better at low temperatures. Up too a point of course, but yeah no problems here whatsoever. Also I just realized this video is 3 years old, but I’m commenting anyway.
The Bell 505 looked like a sweet ride but from an A&P perspective I like having both feet on the ground while checking out the turbine and doing maintenance, just sayen......
Nice reviews! Your critical eye and questions made me feel like this was a potential buy consideration for you guys? OR something you're thinking about in the future? I was excited about the auto, did you get to shoot one in the end? Cheers!
Thanks - great video. I would be also interested how you assess their capabilties (and maybe downsides) when it comes to emergency situations, like LTE or engine failure. Would you then rather sit in a R66 or Bell 505?
Nice review, thanks for posting. In terms of purchasing cost an aircraft that is similar to the 505 is the As350 b2. Maybe you could consider that one as well?
Great video! I like the idea of a face to face comparison. I guess the Enstrom 480B is in the same Category, isn't it? I would like to see those face to face.
I watched the video but I am still confused as to what the major differences are. I see a lot more people say the Bell 505 is it the seats and the storage? I don't know the technical terms but I like the idea of a more comfy flight for recreational flying like out to beaches for diving and mountains for snowboarding and if it could hold 6 people I would be stoked :)
DITTO on the Price of this Bird, however 1.3m seems like a fair price for this model Bell 505 Helicopter. And, Thanks for including the basic stats on this Helicopter @ time 35:40. I enjoy your Channel and the content. It motivates me to wanting to Fly and buy a Helicopter in the near future. Can you direct me to a link where I can ask you a few basic Helicopter questions other than this channel? And, (Question: Why is your Channel called "Pilot Yellow"?) Thumbs Up!
Regardless of the technical progress and improvements, if this is the successor of the Bell Jet Ranger, I like the looks of the Jet Ranger way more. The design is an unbeatable classic. This machine here looks kinda clumsy. Just sayin...
Robinson should design a new bird one with a more advanced rotor, 3 or more blades. Take cues from the Cabri G2. But they sell a ton of them so Robison has no real motive to change. Until smaller companies start dipping into their revenues.
@@laz288 A three blade system adds weight, cost, complexity along with the risk of ground resonance. You can add in the inconvenience of trying to store 3 plus bladed machines as well.
@@misterpspdude The problem with it is the arrogance that's associated with it. Everytime he says, "yep," I hear, "Yeah, I knew that." If he wants to commentate on a video then he needs to learn how to carry on a conversation and facilitate the discussion instead of just shutting down the conversation after every point.
GREAT PIREP Misha!!!!! I think you have a second job---selling Bell 505's!! I was very impressed with the professionalism of the Bell folks! I also like that no one bad mouthed either MFG---an excellent video!!!! There are a number of MFG's building prototype human piloted drone type helicopters that will be a heck of a lot easier to fly---would be great if you could check out some of these new Companies and give us a "sneak peak" at what the disruptors are doing in the industry!!!! Thanks!!!
I actually think it looks good, not great but a good looking heli. I guess it all depends on your preference, but if I had a choice between the Bell 505 or R66 I would definitely choose the Bell 505.
I was a mechanic in the Gulf of Mexico oil patch in the 1970s. Most of my offshore experience was with the Bell 206B III and 206L I ships. Our pilots were mostly Vietnam vets and they were the absolute best. I always felt safe with them, including during one autorotation forced by a failure of the centrifugal compressor diffuser casting and N1 dropped to nearly zero over Matagorda Island in a brand new ship. We were starting to get A-Stars in the fleet but the Bells were always number one in my book.
Thank you for going through the expense and the trouble of providing this very balanced and informative video! Based on the information you provided, I am TOTALLY SOLD - on the R-66! I operate a flight school, charter and tour operation with a modest fleet of R22 and R44s. The R66 looks almost identical to the R44, and with some nominal training on turbine engine starts and systems, it seems that any R44 pilot can transition easily. Also, for the price of the Bell 505, I can purchase both a new R66 and another R44 and substantially increase my lift. For basic charter, tour and training operations, the R66 offers superior payload and range, although the B505 is the "Mercedes". As a businessman, I can generate more income with two Fords than with one Mercedes. I can rent a R66 in my local area for around USD $800 an hour. A Bell product runs for over $1200 per hour.
The Bell 505 has the removable seats feature, and would make an excellent package hauler vs. the Robinson product. But other than that, the price does not justify the cost. Of course, if I had a fleet of Jet Ranger helicopters, I would probably add the Bell 505 to my fleet for commonality of pilot and mechanic training. Thank you for this very informative video.
When you see what happens in a low-g situation on the Robinson... it's catastrophic. I'll stick with Bell.
honestly, as a business, it doesnt make any sense for you to buy a 66 either. you could buy 2 44s for the price of 1 66 and youre only getting .5 seats more out of it and a tiny storage compartment... plus now you need to worry about number of starts and flight duration per start. neither a 66 or 505 make sense unless you do a lot of 135 stuff with baggage.
then every time you overhaul the 66, you could have purchased a new 44 haha. turbines are just so not worth it unless you have money to piss away or have long term government contracts.
@@RealRickCox uh... you do understand bell has the same problem, right? ROFL. theyre both semi-rigid rotor systems. low-g was discovered in the 70s in hueys.... made by bell. killing soldiers trying to fly low to the ground to avoid gunfire.
Depends on the level of your clients. If you are talking flight school, Robinson rules because they are cheaply constructed and priced. The clients I fly are wealthy and self important. A Robinson is noisy and ugly and not for them. The 505 with leather seats and air conditioning is about as low as they would stoop. If a 505 is all they can get at a particular time, they will pay 1200 an hour, but they won't pay 800 for a Robby. Most that I see prefer the Bell 429 to both of the other two.
Putting the rep on the spot concerning low blade life: CHECK!
Great video.
Christopher Robin Rep - “BS my way through the blade life question... Check !”
Ha!
I wish he asked the price.
Glass cockpit is beautiful in the 505.
And auto W&B? That's soooo cool.
i can barely afford a car,what the hell am i doing here? XD
Comparing it with your millennium falcon? It is too weak and fragile. I like the millennium falcon better.
Educating yourself for when you can.
Like me. Enthralled. I cannot afford any helo or lessons. LOL.
$1.07 million do you really think the kid look at it can afford it either?
But you can become a heli pilot.
Your channel with this video came up as a suggestion for me to watch on UA-cam. I watched this video, along with several other of your videos and you have just made a new fan and subscriber :)
Pilot Yellow does comms to professional perfection. Everytime I hop back into some of his content it jumps out at me. Plus the rest of what he does extremely well.
Thanks for the great stuff. It is inspirational and educational. 🙏
Thanks for the terrific video!! Although I've never flown a helicopter I've had an interest in them for years. The guy who taught me to fly fixed wing had been a Bell Cobra pilot for 13 yrs. in the military and our many conversations regarding helicopters led me to develop quite an interest in them.
I really enjoyed this comparison of the two aircraft. It was very informative and should be a great tool for prospective pilots to more understand the costs afforded Owner Operators that otherwise is difficult for them to visualize. Equally, the demonstration of the two really different helicopters broadens the perspectives of pilots no matter how many hours they have. New technologies change everyday. So this plays into the thought process of what someone may want to train in. Thanks so very much!
So been watching a few helicopter tubers and this guy is truly a genuine helicopter pilot. A pleasure watching and learning from his experience of flying helicopters.
The salesman was just that... a salesman. The bald guy seemed to know what he was talking about. I did think it was funny at the beginning when the questions you were asking were more technical than the salesman was.
In my opinion the Bell is such a beautiful machine. The lines are classic and traditional. I have always thought the Robinson line is just so ugly. The high rotor setup makes it look fragile and homely. Again, just my opinion.
I loved this video. I loved the fly ability apples to apples comparison. Great job to everyone. Great to see Sam still around there.
Caseyb Hargraves ha ha yep, I thought Matel or Tonka designed the Robinson lol
The robinson is a petercopter
The, “ salesman” was an experienced Engineer. They al knew what they were talking about.
When it comes to safety, you will get what you pay for, and if that won’t worry you a fleet of two seat $50k copters with 200 pounds cargo ability each might be more useful.
Fantastic, thanks ever so much Mischa for spending so much time on this - I love the longer videos. Have a great weekend!
Thank you Mischa and Bell. Loved every second of this.
That's why I love flying our 206! Great machine! Great job again! What a fun informative video!
For the first time on BELL505 you DOING EXCELLENT JOB Pilot Yellow.
Good info and good comparison. Your plan was spot on, but I also find it hard to do all the full tests with borrowed ships. I currently fly the Robinson R-44 Raven II. Couple other thoughts for me as a private pilot. I land in a lot of tight places and the R66 is smaller with same blade diameter at R44. The gadgets are cool on 505, but that alarm was annoying. I also think weight balance inside the ship is a little too late to figure that out IMO. Very hard to kick someone out after they took the trip, although, with the R66 you are less likely going to have to do that. I do all my W&B before flight and plan everything with fuel, etc. I also tell passengers to be light on baggage and bring soft bags. I personally think the R66 is a way better buy for range, load carrying capacity, size, cost, cost to run, insurance, maintenance, familiarity, ease of use, and it has auto pilot which is nice for long trips. The logger in the 505 is nice, but you can add an engine monitor to the R66 to help with resale. I added the G3 Insight to my R44 so you know everything it did during its entire life including engine and rotor over revs. I made a program that will search through all the years of data and look for over revs if interested. Keep up the good work and safe flying! PS. I'm getting a helmet as well soon. You convinced me. :)
I've test-flown the 505 and it's a pretty good helicopter, I would definitely choose it over the 66 because it has an excellent rotor system (I don't like worrying about mast rocking and blade delamination), 3 proper rear seats (unlike the bs 66 rear row), a real cyclic, FADEC, and a much better instrument panel and avionics. But there are some design flaws that they should've addressed.. one of my main gripes was that the beams that the front doors attach to are very wide and this creates a huge blind spot to the sides that really reduces your peripheral vision and you have to move your head far forward or back to see around them. Also, especially with the duals in it's quite difficult to get into the left front seat. The baggage compartment also doesn't compare to the huge one in the 66 with easy access to it.
Frankly I find them both to have been fairly lazy efforts from their respective companies.. both reaching to the old parts bin an awful lot and not really innovating in a dramatic way.
I agree with you. I do not know why Bell tends to be lazy with rotor evolution. Decades ago when they made the 222 with the rotor system from the Cobra. Nothing like blades the size of sheets of plywood for a business helicopter. Would have liked to see a new rotor design for the 505 maybe a articulated design with Elastomeric Bearings, 3 or more blades. I think the finance departments play too much of a role with new designs. Like Boeing trying to save money with the 737 MAX instead of redesigning the landing gear (higher) etc.
Robinson is a rat trap
They are supposed to be cheaper, adding all that tends to make that more difficult which tends to defeat the purpose.
@@laz288 yes I agree 100%… Boeing, Bell, Robinson, and Cessna are all similar in that aspect. They have all held a good chunk of market share for decades and it seems to have made them very lazy and unimaginative. I guess it’s been working for them so far but we all know how that attitude worked out for the American car industry.
I will say that I think part of the problem is the FAA certification process, they really need to revamp it to make it more efficient and less costly without sacrificing safety. It’s ridiculous how glacial the pace of innovation is in the aviation industry.
Also agree on the blades, would’ve liked to see a modern 3-blade design. In fact I made a remark about it to one of the Bell guys at Heli-Expo a few years ago when they first debuted the 505. At least the Longranger blades they’re using are proven and safe though, which is more than I can say for Robbie blades.
@@regregan5755 true, but the price difference is only about 200k which is significant but not THAT much. They could have at least gone with an independent cyclic instead of that ridiculous T-bar cyclic if they wanted to be taken seriously. I will say that I have friends that flew R66’s in Nepal and were very impressed with it’s altitude performance except that they all said it was scary in turbulence.
Bell 505 hands down. A Jet Ranger with near Long Ranger capability without the cost. The look is certainly growing on me. Visibility looks great.
@pagansforbreakfast agree. I guess compared to the traditional bell image 206, 407, 429 etc. It is not what I expected when you look at a bell. Believe me, I am a fan!
I'm not an expert but the Bell just looks a lot less...cheap...in terms of build quality over the Robinson.
@pagansforbreakfast glue your dentures before you fly it, and glue your ass to the seat in cruise so you don't fall forward on your face, either...
@pagansforbreakfast >>> That is a GOOD ANALOGY for the MBB...😊
Hey Textron..Witness pins and slam doors a nice touch. Great video.
Best video you’ve produced in a while, in my opinion. I love the nerdy stuff. Thanks Micha and team!
Pilot Yellow was not at all thrilled to hear the inspection interval on the main rotor blades of the Bell! Great video as always!
Really enjoyed this! The 206 has always been my favourite so my eyes were on stalks with this.
Excellent upload. 505 made very interesting comparison with the Soloy 47 I flew back in the 80s (G-SOLY). So much different, but you can still see the family resemblance! Thank you sirs.
Just dam brilliant, thank you very much. We await the BA609 comparison!!!
I loved this video. I was glued to the channel for a solid 54:02 👍👍
Enjoy your videos! I like Bell Helicopters so I’m somewhat prejudiced! The 505 is an awesome Aircraft! I loved the UH-1 Huey we flew in the Military. The civilian models are much more comfortable. The OH6 (MD 500) were under powered in Vietnam and the upgraded engine provided the power needed and made it much more fun to fly! I thoroughly enjoy your videos! Thank you so much for the detailed instructions you provide!
I would never had tought the MD500 / OH-6 was underpowered in comparison to a Bell 206.. The MD500s are alot faster and very agile compared to a 206.
But I reckon the BO-105 and Gazelle would have been a steep above them all in their day.
Hey Mischa, the red head behind you kept looking at the guy with a hard stare. LOL!🤣😂🤣😂
Nice demonstration and comparison of the two types. Well-done on a very informative and interesting video!
Yep, yeah yup, ok yep yeah uh huh, yep mmhmm. Yeah yep okay yup yep okay yeah . Ok eh . Yep!
....*kicks tire*
😂😂😂😂
yep.. yep.. okay, only take 100 avgas? okay, the pilot just needs to preflight 1 side? aewsome . yeah just get in and fly its yours!..
Right. Yep.
Okay. Yip. Yip. Mhmm!
thanks for the reviews and comparisons. Have to admit, I was disappointed when the 505 was launched, looks not great and still a 2 blade machine. But clearly a huge upgrade on the systems and reduced pilot work load. But R66 still quite a bit cheaper, so perhaps for commercial, 505 and for private, 66. But have to admit, If I had the money, I would probably go EC-120
Yessir same here. Those are amazing
I fly Bell helicopters since 30 years. A friend who flies both 505 and R 66 confirmed that the R 66 is more powerful, specially in high altitude.
Thirty years?? wow, How many close calls did you have in that time period?
If I'm not mistaken the R66 has a Low Inertia Rotor System and the Bell 505 a High Inertia Rotor System so lets talk about the Safety.
Also a crashworthy fuel cell and system standard on the 505. Not sure if that's standard on the R66?
High Inertia & crashworthy fuel cell turns me on. R22 scares me.
Robinson has bladder fuel tanks so also crash worthy. Robinson also has high impact windscreen to handle impact from 2.2 lb bird up to 100 knots. And Robinson has crumple zone seats to absorb energy on vertical impact.
That’s good info Karl, I wasn’t trying to bash the R66 only stating facts. I have never flown the R66 only the R44 & R22 and I enjoyed flying them. Also flown Bell OH-58, Ah-1f, Uh-1h and there and you can feel the difference in the High Inertia Rotor systems in a auto verses the Roby. But I feel the Roby is a good product, we just need to be aware of the flight envelope at all times and keep the acft out of a low G condition
Lorenzo Ybarra No issue stating facts except your facts are not correct. The Robinson rotor system has a lot of inertia on R-44 and R-66. So much so that you have to be careful not to exceed rotor speed limits and pull up on collective during autos. R-22 has much lower inertia, but still enough to be safe. Lastly, all 2 bladed teeter systems have to stay out of Low-G conditions including Bell 206 and others.
wish I could afford flight school for helicopter. I flew as a crew member in an AS350B2 aka A-star for about a year, 5 days a week in L.A. for a TV news station.
Loved it... But if I were to buy a helicopter today I'd get the 505, I love it.... We had jetrangers in the fleet as backup ships when the A star was in for service so I've got flying time in those as well.
I was just thinking how smooth it was when you said the same word ... Very nice ride
Talking to the Bell rep like I talk to car salesman, but talking to the pilot like a fellow professional. That's perfect, exactly how I would be. haha
He started listing off all the materials that are used and my mechanic in me is like, "Oh no. This thing is going to suck for corrosion."
I never liked the looks of the 505 until I saw one in person this weekend at an airshow. What a beautiful aircraft when you're standing next to it.
Nice subjective review. Because you make us do the flight with you, it gives us more insights than maybe some of the other written reviews.
My grandfather had a r22 and I wish to follow in his footsteps and also get my pilots licence. I love your guys channel. I'm in the uk I'm going to see if there is a local flight school.
Mate, I love this video, I have watched it like 5 times! Good work
I considered buying a 505 several months ago, but found a good used Buick LeSabre instead. Big difference listening to this pilot vs the sales rep ! That Bell is really good looking. Much better lines than the R66 and clearly a true “next generation” helicopter. Really fun and interesting video !
its literally a 206 with different bodywork haha... theres nothing new about it.
Nice comparison.....well done!
I appreciate them both. Good video.
I'm into aesthetics... the bell looks 10,000% cooler than the 66
really? I think the 505 looks like a box with a stick out its butt xD
Robinsons are extremely ugly
Both the Robinson and the Bell are ugly birds. Why can't they just built one that looks like an rc model helicopter ?
Its because of the wing and the rotor system trust me
@@archangel9114 because it wouldn't work on large-scale
I love the infamous Gulf - Echo - Alpha - Kilo R66 lol. Missing the Spanish accent on GEAK, lol. Anyone not familiar with the R66 here, they flew it around the world. Look for the "Epic World helicopter tour"
The R66 is a work horse for Ethnos 360 Aviation and is flown in the mountainous regions of Indonesia where runways are not practical to build and roads can be dangerous or nonexistent.
I'm at 18:39 never flown a chopper only once controlled a fixed wing, would Love to fly but too old now and really enjoying this video - I'm feeling like I'm knowing how the craft is working and would love to hold a second stick to feel the hand to inner ear connection.
I know that as soon as you fly the first time you're totally screwed - now you want to see Space first hand and then it's "what's that rock out there?" I'd love to feel the stick to experience the hand/stick to inner ear connection like you do with a car or bike or boat but in 3D
Thank you for posting, love it.
Killer drinking game. Shot every time you hear "Ya". Bonus shots on "But Ya". I grew up in an S-58T. I wouldn't know what to do in these little fleas..lol. Thanks - Lumpy
Excellent! I've waited for months to see the 505 actually fly! I reckon the hire rate is going to be a delicate decision,depending purely on the purpose and quality as required by the hirer. Cost appears to favour the Robinson,but for an up to date pilot, the Bell could be the better option. Anyway,thanks for the video,very enjoyable and interesting.
That is one fine looking aircraft! I'm not all the way through the video, but I hope it flies as good as it looks.
I am curious about your thoughts on egress from the Bell 505. Crew and passengers share the same door and it appears necessary to move forward seats aft to exit. This design philosophy departs from previous Bell products and other existing designs in what looks like weight and or cost savings. Interestingly Bell adopts the same idea for their new Bell 525 which does not feature separate crew doors and requires seats to shift aft on J-tracks to exit. In a hard landing is there any chance that the seats could locked in their flight position due to allowed deformation such that getting out in a hurry is no longer an option?
Hill HX50 Vs Bell 505 will be a great video!
Seems pretty nice. I like that the center broom closet is removed in this model. FIrst limit indicators do take a bit to get accustomed to.
We'll we know that drivetrain can take 700+ HP, I guess time will tell if the airframe will be able to do the same...
Future looks bright for this one.
I'm betting it will be able to, since I guess whatever the 407 has in terms of airframe integrity, the 505 will have it incorporated.
Thanks, I enjoyed this tremendously. I really need to learn to fly this machines.
Still prefer the good old 206.
Sasha R around 450k.
If it’s for personal use. I’d still go for an r66. You lookin to buy one?
of course you do . . . .
@@JosiasRivera You can get a good time 206B2/B3 for $250k
Ryan Gerth A good airframe 206 yes. But One that’s not going to need blades (main or tail) or TT straps and ptg overhauled with a buttload of time, no.
Ryan Gerth Lowest I’ve seen is 300k
Wow! Hey Mischa, that's a sweet looking heli.
I would rather be in Bell over a Robinson any day of the week, and I will not set foot in a R-22. Nice video, thanks!!!
The 505 is a beautiful chopper! Always wanted to see the inside of it
My Favorite Helios to operate is the Bell 407 and The MD-500 and overall the 505 conversion of the 206 model isn't quite what I would expected to look like but all front Veiws is not to bad
Its my understanding that the 505 is a beast, very powerful for the aircrafts size. However you do pay for that in fuel burn. It looks to me like the 66 is the best entry into turbines and the 505 is the next with the ability to work it harder and impress your friends. Kind of like comparing the Toyota Tercel to a big Lexus sedan. They both do the job. No problems however one is more comfortable, more powerful, and impresses your friends. Thank you and be safe.
Thoroughly Enjoyed this Video! Thanks so Much!!
This is excellent material
Interesting. It's Good to see that there is some carry over from the 206b, such as problematic headsets in the rear haha. As for your other blog regarding a 14yr old flying a helicopter. My mentor and flying instructor was Dennis Kenyon, a world champion freestyle pilot, who sadly passed away in 2020. His son competently flew a Jet ranger from cold to full flight and land at 11yrs old. He could have happily traversed the UK on his own, but for regulations. Unfortunately, he was Killed as a teenager, flying a Hughes 300. The tail boom parted company, and the aircraft became a flying anvil. The cause was a failure of a clevis lug. It turned out the lug was welded (cast), by a welder who wasn't approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. Dennis never got over his son's death. So sad.
All your videos are great,
8:57 “4 inches of stroking”
underrated comment
As you said, they can be very similar in many ways. But I feel one point was left out and I'd REALLY like to hear your opinion on it Sir.
CUSTOMER SUPPORT. I dont know Robinson like you do but I do hear from operators that Bell has EXCELLENT after the sale support. I think that would be worth the price difference? If you would, please chime in. I'm really curious.
Fantastic video, I REALLY ENJOY when you do long video's . lol And this one was super informative, as many of them are.
I like the simplicity of the Bell 505, but how will the instruments cope with low temp situations in the winter. Nice to see the comparison of these two very different helicopters. Thanks for the video.
T. W. No problems at all. The Garmin G1000 glass cockpit is the most popular in the world and has been for many years. Cold temps are not a concern with it.
@@jonathanknight89 electronics work better at low temperatures. Up too a point of course, but yeah no problems here whatsoever.
Also I just realized this video is 3 years old, but I’m commenting anyway.
The Bell 505 looked like a sweet ride but from an A&P perspective I like having both feet on the ground while checking out the turbine and doing maintenance, just sayen......
4:19 Dude in the back is into mining I guess 😂😂😂
Nice reviews! Your critical eye and questions made me feel like this was a potential buy consideration for you guys? OR something you're thinking about in the future? I was excited about the auto, did you get to shoot one in the end? Cheers!
You asked great questions.
Thanks for the comprehensive video👍
Thanks - great video. I would be also interested how you assess their capabilties (and maybe downsides) when it comes to emergency situations, like LTE or engine failure. Would you then rather sit in a R66 or Bell 505?
Awesome Channel I'm learning stuff all the time the guy the salesman for the helicopte
Wasn't he in that FX TV series Fargo
Great vid. Can you get the MD sales guys over and do one for the 520?
Nice review, thanks for posting. In terms of purchasing cost an aircraft that is similar to the 505 is the As350 b2. Maybe you could consider that one as well?
Great video! Thanks for this intro for my curiosity.
So if you trip a breaker you just pull over and reset it?
Great video! I like the idea of a face to face comparison. I guess the Enstrom 480B is in the same Category, isn't it? I would like to see those face to face.
I watched the video but I am still confused as to what the major differences are. I see a lot more people say the Bell 505 is it the seats and the storage? I don't know the technical terms but I like the idea of a more comfy flight for recreational flying like out to beaches for diving and mountains for snowboarding and if it could hold 6 people I would be stoked :)
Great video very good comparison
DITTO on the Price of this Bird, however 1.3m seems like a fair price for this model Bell 505 Helicopter. And, Thanks for including the basic stats on this Helicopter @ time 35:40. I enjoy your Channel and the content. It motivates me to wanting to Fly and buy a Helicopter in the near future. Can you direct me to a link where I can ask you a few basic Helicopter questions other than this channel? And, (Question: Why is your Channel called "Pilot Yellow"?) Thumbs Up!
Thanks. Love the comparison flights...Do more if you can...Maybe an MD?
Both great birds, personally in that price range I’d be going with an MD however. If I stepped up I would go airbus, or AW.
Well done. Love the comparison. Thank you.
Question: Turbulence induced mast bumping...your thoughts?
That's one beautiful machine...
Is the 505 nose heavy and under powered? I've read it's CG balancing is iffy.
Regardless of the technical progress and improvements, if this is the successor of the Bell Jet Ranger, I like the looks of the Jet Ranger way more. The design is an unbeatable classic. This machine here looks kinda clumsy. Just sayin...
I wonder if they had to sacrifice the aesthetics for something useful or they just didn't bother.
calopii
Nothing beats the dolphin look.
Isn't this just the rival to the competition for the smaller helo market and the 407 is the latest jetranger?
Robinson could make the most technically perfect helis (and they don't) but they'd still look goofy AF.
Robinson should design a new bird one with a more advanced rotor, 3 or more blades. Take cues from the Cabri G2. But they sell a ton of them so Robison has no real motive to change. Until smaller companies start dipping into their revenues.
Ste Me yea I can’t stand there looks
@@laz288 A three blade system adds weight, cost, complexity along with the risk of ground resonance. You can add in the inconvenience of trying to store 3 plus bladed machines as well.
Robinson's have a bad rep for mast bumping here, been a few fatals linked to the apparently known issue.
Nice video Pilot Yellow
GOOD JOB MAN!
"Yep"
"Yep"
"Yep"
"Yep"
Right
Thought I was the only one. They might as well all just be looking at each other shaking their heads yes and saying ya yep ya yep
sniff...sniff
@@misterpspdude The problem with it is the arrogance that's associated with it. Everytime he says, "yep," I hear, "Yeah, I knew that." If he wants to commentate on a video then he needs to learn how to carry on a conversation and facilitate the discussion instead of just shutting down the conversation after every point.
Good test flight. The standard 505 I saw had no headlining, no leather seats and no HTAWS or SV. It was really noisy in the cabin.
They're cool. What about the one flown by the helicopter pilot in “The Spy Who Loved Me”?
GREAT PIREP Misha!!!!! I think you have a second job---selling Bell 505's!! I was very impressed with the professionalism of the Bell folks! I also like that no one bad mouthed either MFG---an excellent video!!!! There are a number of MFG's building prototype human piloted drone type helicopters that will be a heck of a lot easier to fly---would be great if you could check out some of these new Companies and give us a "sneak peak" at what the disruptors are doing in the industry!!!! Thanks!!!
The 505 is ugly but in a beautiful way
Kinda like the a10 warthog
A shameful crush
I actually think it looks good, not great but a good looking heli. I guess it all depends on your preference, but if I had a choice between the Bell 505 or R66 I would definitely choose the Bell 505.
Aviation Nut oh yeah same. As I said I still think it looks good
Just in a ugly way
Like a shameful crush
exactly , its an mini 206 for me
and between an R66 or a 505 i would choose the 505.
its looks cute too , but have thiccness too
God I hate the internet. This is the only place where helicopters would be called thicc
Bell 505 looks very very good nice looking chopper
I'm a Bell fan, they take ground fire really well. :-)
Even RPGs? 😂
Thank You, Loved the Video
Lots of pilots would rather fly the proven good old 206 !!!
How can something become proven though if it’s not flown?
206 is too big and flies like a tank with a rotor blade