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Bell Helicopter names Eric Cardinali
President of its Canadian operations; Jacques St-Laurent to oversee European operations

Press Contact
Greg Hubbard (817) 280-8245
gdhubbard @ bellhelicopter.textron.com

Michel Legault
Bell Helicopter Canada
(450) 971-6500, Ext. 6027

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (September 5, 2008) - Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today that Eric Cardinali has been named president of Bell Helicopter Canada. He replaces Jacques St-Laurent who is moving to a new position as president of Bell Helicopter's European operations.

"Eric's proven leadership ability, international business acumen, and outstanding performance results make him a perfect strategic fit for the continued success of our Canadian operations," said Richard Millman, president and CEO of Bell Helicopter. "Moving Eric into this position highlights the value of Textron's Networked Enterprise, allowing Bell to draw upon the pool of talent across all of Textron. I look forward to the results we are confident he will deliver."

Cardinali comes from E-Z-GO, a Textron company and a leading manufacturer of golf cars and utility vehicles, where he was vice president, Integrated Supply Chain. He has over 20 years experience in domestic and international manufacturing and sales. Cardinali first joined Textron in 2001 at Jacobsen, a turf maintenance equipment and utility vehicle manufacturer in Lincoln, NE. He moved to E-Z-GO as plant manager in 2003 and was promoted to vice president in December 2005. He created a culture of operational excellence at E-Z-GO - achieving significant improvements in productivity, first time quality, and inventory turns.

Jacques St-Laurent leaves Bell Helicopter Canada after a six year term as president. During his tenure there St-Laurent oversaw the growth of the workforce from 1,200 to 2,400 people and a production rate that improved from 100 helicopters per year to about 200. He also was instrumental in the development of Bell's new light twin helicopter, the Bell 429.

Millman said, "We live in a global market place that demands careful attention. It is particularly important that we be available to serve our customers wherever and whenever they need us. To be able to better serve our European customers, and to spearhead our regional growth we have decided to strengthen our European operations. Jacques' tremendous success at Bell Canada and his understanding of the international market made him the best person for this new role."

About Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited (BHTCL)

BHTCL is an affiliate of Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., a Textron Company. The 61,000-square-meter Mirabel facility has the mandate for production of Bell Helicopter's commercial products for global deliveries and directly employs more than 2,400 people.

About Bell Helicopter

Bell Helicopter is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tilt rotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell's global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.

About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a $13.2 billion multi-industry company operating in 34 countries with approximately 44,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, defense and intelligence, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company , Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Fluid & Power, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.

http://www.bellhelicopter.com
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. Post Office Box 482, Fort Worth, TX 76101

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