Bell Helicopter, Textron AirLand and Textron Aviation to Highlight Special Mission & Defense Products at Marrakech 2016

Wichita, Kansas (April 27, 2016) – Bell Helicopter, Textron AirLand and Textron Aviation Inc., all Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) companies, today announced their plans for the Marrakech Airshow at the Menara Airport in Marrakesh, Morocco, which runs April 27-April 30, 2016. Textron will be displaying in chalet A8.

Bell Helicopter

This year, Bell Helicopter is showcasing the Bell 407GXP, equipped by NorthStar Aviation  as a light attack helicopter, on static display and the Bell UH-1Y Venom and The Bell AH-1Z Viper models showcasing our military attack and utility helicopters.

With over 250 commercial Bell Helicopters being used for military missions in Middle East and Africa, Bell Helicopter is seeing a growing demand in the region specifically for the Bell 407 in a light attack configuration. The Bell 407GXP is the latest best-selling Bell 407 platform, with added value through class leading performance, payload capability and operating economics.  The M250 Rolls-Royce engine boosts power and fuel efficiency delivering best in class hot and high performance. The aircraft also features avionics improvements in the weight and balance pages, as well as a transmission time between overhaul (TBO) extension of 500 hours.

The Bell UH-1Y utility and Bell AH-1Z attack helicopters continue to perform for the United States Marine Corps, delivering on our promise of technologically advanced aircraft the Marines can rely on to accomplish their challenging missions. The Venom and Viper are a potent, comprehensive duo, designed and manufactured to reduce logistical requirements and marinized to perform for expeditionary forces over land or sea. The Bell AH-1Z Viper is capable of carrying the widest array of ordnance of any helicopter in the world. The Bell AH-1Z’s Target Sight System provides the longest range and highest accuracy of any helicopter sight available, as it allows the operators of the AH-1Z to identify and track multiple targets outside the enemy’s ability to visually detect the Zulu. Unlike other attack helicopters, the AH-1Z Viper has integrated air-to-air strike capability in addition to lethal air-to-ground anti-armor performance. This capability set makes the AH-1Z the ideal platform to meet the requirements of land warfare scenarios in any of the potential hot spots around the world. The Bell UH-1Y Venom is a combat-proven utility helicopter slated to support the United States Marine Corps global missions for the next four decades. The Bell UH-1Y engages threats, inserts or exfiltrates personnel and performs under the most punishing operating conditions, making it the ultimate tactical utility helicopter. The Bell UH-1Y was first deployed with the United States Marine Corps in 2009.

Textron AirLand

The company will be highlighting the Scorpion jet at its Marrakech Airshow chalet. Designed and built with commercial practices, Textron AirLand’s Scorpion is truly unique in the ISR and Strike market. It is a highly affordable military jet with an hourly operating cost that has proven lower than $3,000. The Scorpion combines high dash speeds, extended endurance and loiter time at cruise speeds – making it very versatile in terms of mission flexibility.

Textron Aviation & Beechcraft Defense Company

Textron Aviation and its Beechcraft Defense Company will highlight their commercial, special mission and defense products at the show, including:

Cessna Citation Sovereign+

Fusion-equipped Beechcraft King Air 250

Cessna Grand Caravan EX

Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine

“We are excited to highlight our versatile product line at Marrakech this year alongside Africair, our long-standing representative in region now supporting both Beechcraft and Cessna product lines as an authorized sales representative,” said Ali Ashban, regional vice president of Sales for Middle East, Africa and India. “With more than 800 Textron Aviation products in the African region, we continue to provide innovative solutions for our customers and expand our service offerings.”

The Citation Sovereign+ on display empowers today’s business leaders to move their business forward. A meticulously crafted interior for up to 12 passengers, intuitive G5000 avionics and intercontinental performance makes the Citation Sovereign+ the ideal productivity tool for any business.

Making its Marrakech show debut is the Fusion-equipped Beechcraft King Air 250 featuring the recently EASA-certified Pro Line Fusion avionics system. Pro Line Fusion for the King Air brings one of the most trusted avionics architectures to the first full touchscreen flight display. With the industry’s broadest lineup of special mission platforms, the King Air 250 and Cessna Grand Caravan EX on display are ideally suited to fit any mission profile such as maritime patrol, air ambulance, float operations, training, utility transport and more.

Beechcraft Defense offers a versatile lineup of military platforms including the Beechcraft T-6 Texan, the world-leading military flight trainer, and the Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine light attack aircraft. The AT-6 Wolverine is a multi-role, multi-mission aircraft system designed to meet the spectrum of needs for the light attack mission by leveraging a range of highly-specialized, but off-the-shelf capabilities.