FH1100 Pilot says:
Really? Doesn't look like it to me. In fact, the pictures I've seen make the back seats look very JetRanger-ish in width. But I've never seen one in person and, Googling my little fingers off, I cannot seem to find on the internet a figure for the interior width of the 505. I guess Bell doesn't want us to compare things.
I recently flew the 505 - I got to sit in the back seat as well. The aircraft only had two seats in the back, but they are separate seats, so I think the third (middle) seat would be exactly the same size, and they were very comfortable. The cabin (and seats) felt a lot like an EC120 to me.
Bell is positioning the 505 in a curious place. It cannot eat into 407 or even 206L-4 sales - that's a given. It will not compete against the H120 (at nearly double the price with the same engine). And at US$1.2 million, it's quite a bit more expensive than the $900k R-66. Maybe $300,000 is nothing for buyers? And anyway, with its L-4 drivetrain and 504 horsepower engine, the 505 is a class above the 300 h.p. R-66. Or not? Will the 505 and R-66 compete in the same market segment?
I think capability wise, it does compete with the EC120 (although it has more power). It just goes to show that the EC120 is wildly overpriced and I'm glad I don't own one because I'm guessing the used price of EC120s is going to take a beating.
As to whether it competes with the R66 is a more interesting question. The R66 is certainly less expensive, I would say is as fast, has a comparable baggage compartment. The price difference is enough to buy a nice R44 to keep next to your R66, but the 505 feels like a much more substantial aircraft. If I was a wealthy person who wanted a personal aircraft, there is no question I would prefer the 505 over the R66. I found the G1000 very nice, and heads and shoulders above the avionics in the R66 (Frank really wasn't a glass panel fan).
Which one looks better is totally in the eye of the beholder, but I really like the idea of the L4 drivetrain (even if I miss having a throttle on the collective). It's certainly a tried and true rotor system (I fly an L3).
The startup, shutdown, and "fly" versus "land" stuff is much simpler than the R66 due to the FADEC (and some very clearly labeled and well thought out switches/knobs in the 505). I think there will be far fewer engines smoked by the less experienced of the pilot crowd.
Certainly if I was a wealthy person and part of the reason for owning the aircraft was to impress my friends, the 505 is a much more impressive aircraft to ride in than the R66.