Bell 525 Relentless

The Bell 525 Relentless is an American super-medium-lift helicopter under development by Bell Textron, unveiled at the 2012 Heli-Expo in Dallas. It is designed to carry up to 19 passengers and is the first fly-by-wire civilian helicopter, a twin-turbine machine with a composite and metal airframe and two General Electric CT7 engines. The prototype first flew on 1 July 2015. A prototype crashed during a test flight near Italy, Texas, on 6 July 2016 and killed both occupants, and the crash pushed certification back, which Bell was still working toward in 2024 with its first order secured. Its rotor technology also underpins the Bell 360 Invictus.