I think the point is that this "new" 505 is neither the latest nor the greatest of anything; it's simply a rehash of old technology in a new shape, with new avionics. Golly! People (mostly guys but not always) are getting such erections from this thing that it's really puzzling. Dudes, WE'VE SEEN IT ALL BEFORE. And so far, I'm not impressed.
Have you people *seen* the seats? Lord Almighty, I always thought the original Astar seats were cheap-looking. The 505 seats make the 350 seats seem like they came out of a Blackhawk!
Some of Bell's design choices, and the compromises they bring are truly puzzling. Even the 1961 HUL-1M had a baggage compartment in the tail (probably unusable, given that the engine exhaust was immediately forward of it with that configuration). If you don't understand how important it sometimes is to shift weight between the cabin and baggage compartment to keep the c.g. in range, then you probably haven't flown very much out in the "real world." But in the 505? No can do! Baggage compartment is right under the mast
I'm especially not impressed with the location of the horizontal stab. Is Bell just copying the R-product? I suspect that at some point the 505 will "magically" grow a set like the 206 has, complete with endplates.
But the choice of tha Arrius engine is what's really puzzling. It not only weighs more than a RR-250, but it uses more fuel as well. So in addition to the extra weight of the engine, you'll have to always carry more fuel to feed it than if they'd just stuck with the legendary RR-250. Strange choice. How heavy is thing thing going to be? Heavier than a 206B, that's for sure!
But it is a work-in-progress, let's admit that much. Many things will undoubtedly change between now and the first production units...*IF* indeed it ever gets produced. So far, aside from the open-floor-plan cabin, it does not show us any real improvements over the 206 it is supposedly replacing. And it's way uglier. It will *not* be faster than a 206B on low-skids. And depending on how they actually mount the transmission, it may have worse ride quality than a B-model.
We shall see...