Aviation Week ShowNews Briefing - HAI 2011

HELI-EXPO

A NEW EC 145 FROM EUROCOPTER

MARCH 7, 2011

Why Have a Cockpit?

Eurocopter says you won’t recognize it in new X4. –Page 2

Sandel HeliTAWS to Collins Collins will use Sandel’s software for terrain alerts. –Page 2

Russian Helicopters Here Heli-Expo like a fashion show, says new chief.

–Page 3

Orsi’s Vision for 2050 AgustaWestland CEO says fast vertical lift is vital. –Page 4 Tiltrotors will be vital.

Thales Enhances S-76D Integrates new functionalities in Sikorsky cockpit.. –Page 5

Large, Small, Old and New Two pages of photos of the helicopters here. –Pages 6-7

A Military AW139M in Static Surprise appearance by model proposed for U.S. –Page 8

AW169 Aims to be a Winner Order book opened for new light-medium twin . –Page 11

ShowNews Day1, Day 2 See both issues online at: www.aviationweek.com/shownews

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The EC 145 T2 (T stands for ‘Tango’) was unveiled by Eurocopter president & CEO Lutz Bertling. –Page 13

Bell to Sell BA609 Program to Italy Bell Helicopter has agreed to sell its share in the BA609 civil tiltrotor to AgustaWestland, the Italian company’s CEO Giuseppe Orsi said here at Heli-Expo.

A year ago he said that AgustaWestland’s frustration over Bell dragging its feet on the program, had forced him to set a deadline of end-June on the fate of the program. An agreement was reached, but negotiations

have been stymied by difficulties in transferring assets from Bell to AgustaWestland.

These problems revolve around separating the intellectual property rights of the civil tiltrotor from the U.S. military’s V-22 Osprey tiltrotor, which Bell builds in partnership with Boeing.

“We are now developing a very definite separation of intellectual property rights from the V-22,” said Orsi. “Bell has agreed to sell; we have agreed to buy. We hope the deal can be concluded within the next couple of months.”

Asked why Bell would want to sell its share in the BA609 program, Orsi said “just compare our range of civil helicopters with theirs. It is clear where they must allocate their resources instead of looking at a limited market.”

Ironically, Bell used to be a partner in what is now the AgustaWestland AW139, the world’s fastest selling medium twin-engined helicopter, with more than 500 delivered or on Bell Helicopter svp Larry Roberts presented the 407 gunship. order. Bell is now exploring a competitor under its “Magellan” program for a future medium –Page 9 twin.

—John Morris

Bell Arms Its 407

Pilot Yes, Cockpit No, Says Eurocopter of X4 “Why have a cockpit?” asks Eurocopter president and CEO Lutz Bertling.

Eurocopter’s next helicopter, the X4 replacement for the Dauphin and EC155 light twins, will dispense with it, he Lutz Bertling. promised at Heli-Expo.

His comment seemed so outrageous that it skimmed over the heads of journalists at the company’s annual press conference here. But later, he told ShowNews, he meant what he said.

“The X4 will not have a cockpit as you know it,” he said. “The way of flying this helicopter will be completely different from any other aircraft you’ve ever seen.” Eurocopter, he said, is working with avionics companies on the new concept, which might not be fully implemented by the time the X4 is formally launched late in the first half of this year (read Paris Air Show, if it is ready in time).

The design of the X4 is pretty much frozen, Bertling said, adding that the helicopter will bring breakthrough increases in payload and performance for its class.

More than that he would not say. “You must wait for the launch,” Bertling said.

Productivity, Not Speed Is Eurocopter’s Goal “We are not in the race for speed” with the high-speed X3 demonstrator, says Eurocopter president and CEO Lutz Bertling. The 180 kt hybrid helicopter (plans call to push it to 220 kt) is all about productivity. Compared to the EC155, it could increase payload-x-range per flight hour by 50% and decrease life cycle costs per hour by 25%, when used over long range. “The point is that the increase in cost for more speed must be less than the value of the increase in productivity,” he explained.

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Sandel Licenses HeliTAWS to Collins Terrain safety technology developed by Sandel Avionics (Booth 3518) for its HeliTAWS and proprietary TrueAlert ground warning software will be used by Rockwell Collins under a licensing agreement between the two companies.

Sandel says its TrueAlert adaptive algorithms determine pilot intent throughout an entire flight range to provide terrain alerting while virtually eliminating nuisance warnings. The system is entirely automatic and does not require pilot management of the phase of flight. Rockwell Collins (Booth 4306) will incorporate HeliTAWS into its own integrated rotorcraft avionics systems.

K-Max Without the Man “It’s got unprecedented payload,” Kaman business development manager George Schafer says of his company’s K-Max. “No one’s even close to it.” That’s why the aircraft is being developed in league with Lockheed Martin to supply combat outposts in Afghanistan. Two K-Max helos have been dedicated to the program, in competition with Boeing’s A160T Hummingbird UAV. A fly-off at the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah is expected for late this summer and a downselect by year-end. Beyond the military? “As the unmanned aircraft world opens up,” says Schafer, “so do the commercial opportunities.” Booth 2521.

Turbomeca Names Plant for Founder Turbomeca comes to Heli-Expo 2011 boasting a new helicopter engine plant, as its $138 million, 453,600-sq-ft, 1,300-employee facility at Bordes, in southwest France, was inaugurated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy this past June. “The Joseph Szydlowski plant represents an investment equal to more than 10% of Turbomeca’s sales, but it will generate savings in inventories and work-inprocess of at least that much,” said Jean-Paul Herteman, CEO at parent Safran. Joseph Szydlowski founded Turbomeca in 1938. Booth 1637.

Becker for Los Angeles Sheriff Comms The first of a dozen DVCS6100 digital audio systems for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office has been installed by San Diego’s Hangar One Avionics on a Eurocopter AS350B2, reports supplier Becker Avionics. The system was selected “due to its unique ability to effectively manage and control all audio sources in the helicopter,” Becker says: “the DVCS6100 manages all transceivers, receivers and audio warning sources in one central system and provides simulcast capabilities on 8 channels.” The first aircraft was delivered to LACSO on February 11. Brett Gardner is sales director at Becker (Booth 1652).

March 7, 2011

Russian Helicopters Studies U.S. Markets “Heli-Expo is like a fashion show for the global helicopter industry. We come here to avail ourselves of the latest trends, and to verify whether our vision and strategy are aligned with the rest of the world,” says Dmitry Petrov, director general of Russian Helicopters.

For Petrov, who took charge An original Mi-34C. of Russia’s helicopter industry last November, the event not only gives his products a global showcase, but also allows him to meet his major international customers.

Many of them are here, including Russia-based UTAir (Booth 506), the world’s fourth largest provider of helicopter services and operator of nearly 250 of Petrov’s aircraft. Input such as theirs, he told ShowNews in his first press interview since becoming director general, is valuable because they are also buying Western helicopters such as the EC175 and AW139, and Russian Helicopters can learn more about how to improve aftermarket and customer services.

Russian Helicopters, he said, is developing a range of products for its traditional markets, but a number of them also meet requirements for FAA certification and could be attractive to the U.S. and AVIATION WEEK President Greg Hamilton

ShowNews Briefing Publisher Mark Flinn Editor-In-Chief John Morris Morrisoff@aol.com 860-365-0445 Senior Editor Rich Piellisch Senior Art Director & IT Manager Kirk Fetzer Art Director Maureen Spuhler Director of Sales Iain Blackhall iain_blackhall@aviationweek.com Operations Manager Erving Dockery, Jr. Show News Briefing is published at Heli-Expo 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121 AVIATION WEEK also publishes Show News, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Aviation Daily, Aerospace Daily & Defense Report, Business and Commercial Aviation, Overhaul & Maintenance, The Weekly of Business Aviation, Defense Technology International, and the World Aerospace Database including World Aviation Directory.

Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. © Copyright 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Library of Congress ISSN 1092-6151

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Canadian markets – if and when they are certified. For Russian Helicopters to pursue FAA certification would require “sufficient orders” to warrant the investment, he said.

The most likely candidate would be the twin-engine Kamov Ka-32 A11BC, coaxialrotored utility helicopter, which has achieved EASA and Canadian certification and is operated in Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Canada.

Petrov believes the pistonengined Mi-34C1 could also be attractive for training and sport utility, while the Mi-171 medium twin, already in use with the U.S. armed forces and government agencies in places like Afghanistan, could find customers in North Dmitry Petrov took over at America.

Russian Helicopters last year.

But sales in the U.S. are not the sole focus of Russian Helicopters (Booth 628) here. “Since not just U.S. players but all other key players in the global market attend, it is very important for us to be at Heli-Expo.”

—John Morris

...And Here’s What It Has to Offer RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS’ modernized Mil

Mi-34C1 light helicopter, being promoted here at Heli-Expo, is expected to fly for the first time in May or June. The pistonpowered four-seater will join a growing lineup of civil machines from the former Soviet helicopter industry. The Mi-34 was last produced in the late 1990s, and the modernized version introduces a new engine and avionics. Voronezh is expected to deliver the first 365 hp M-9VF engine for prototype OP-1

by April, with the powerplant for the second Mi-34C1, OP-2, due to arrive by May. Certification will involve 130-150 flights, says Russian Helicopters. The aerobatic Mi-34C1 has a maximum takeoff weight of 3,200 lb (1,450 kg), a payload of 660 lb (300 kg), cruise speed of 105 kt (195 km/h) and range of 330 nm (610 km).

The company’s civil line-up includes the light Kamov Ka-226T and Kazan Ansat, medium Mi-17 family, multi-role Ka-32A11BC and heavy Mi-26T2, but it is developing the new 15.6-tonne Mi-38 and studying the market for the 6.5-tonne Ka-62.

An improved second prototype of the

Mi-38, OP-2, first flew in December at Kazan Helicopters and is now in Moscow for flight testing. Flight controls, fuel and hydraulic systems, and main rotor blades, have been upgraded based on tests of the first prototype, OP-1, which first flew in 2003.The upgrades have brought the Mi-38 into full compliance with Russian AP-29 airworthiness requirements, equivalent to FAA Part 29 certification, the manufacturer says, adding that handling and stability are improved.

Russian Helicopters plans demonstration flights with OP-2 this year. A third prototype is being built at Kazan, where series production is scheduled to begin in 2015. The Mi-38 has Transas glass-cockpit avionics and is powered by two 2,500 shp P&W Canada PW127/5s, but can be equipped with Russian Klimov TV7-117V engines.

The Ka-62 program is awaiting an engine decision, says Russian Helicopters, identifying candidates as the Turbomeca Ardiden 3G, RussianNPO Saturn RD-600V, Ukrainian Motor Sich TV3-117VMA and an engine from Pratt Canada. There are no firm plans yet for certification, the company says.

March 7, 2011

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Orsi’s Vision for 2050

Sikorsky’s Milestone Deal for Its S-76C++

Vertical-lift air transportation will be vital to the infrastructure of crowded cities by the year 2050, says Giuseppe Orsi, CEO of helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland.

His recommendation to the industry, he told the press at Heli-Expo, would be to promote that vision and to aim for aircraft up to70-80 passengers having vertical takeoff capability. “We have to start to consider the helicopter not just for emergencies, but as a modality for transportation,” he said. “And HAI should Giuseppe Orsi. encourage this.”

Helicopters are now so much more technologically advanced than 10 years ago, but outdated perceptions surrounding safety and noise persist, Orsi said.

“We must convince people that vertical lift is needed, and that it is less impactive [environmentally and on its surroundings] than other forms of transportation.

He called the press to task for not being more supportive, and being too eager to report complaints of helicopter activities, such as noise, when they are in fact less intrusive than nearby road traffic.

Having flown through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on his way to Heli-Expo, Orsi observed that capacity could be doubled there if helicopters were used to fly into DC instead of concentrating all the traffic into regional jets at the airport.“We cannot have the luxury of not using vertical lift in our crowded cities,” Orsi said. He is participating in an EU program to envision transportation in 2050, and he urged the industries involved not to focus on tomorrow’s problems, but the goals for 40 years hence.

AgustaWestland is already working with the city of Milan to build and operate two downtown heliports to show how they can be integrated into the infrastructure, he added. Low level airways, with minimum impact on their surroundings, will also be needed, Orsi said.—John Morris

Milestone Aviation Group, the global leasing company for helicopters and private jets set up by Richard Santulli of NetJets fame, will take delivery of five Sikorsky S-76C helicopters in the second half of 2011 under a firm contract signed last December. They will be offered for lease to operators around the world. “By leasing out and providing 100% financing that ultimately allows end users to operate our aircraft, Milestone Aviation Group has quickly become an important customer for Sikorsky,” said Carey Bond, president of Sikorsky Global Helicopters.

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Sikorsky S-76B Rebuilt to Tilt at Windmills A Sikorsky S-76B has been reconfigured to perform specialty maintenance operations on windfarms in Germany by Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS) in Coatesville, Penn.

The maintenance, repair and overhaul company carried out comprehensive modifications to reconfigure the VIP S-76B for its new role maintaining windmills with Germany’s Heliservice International GmbH. “SAS MRO successfully executed several complex modifications to transforming the VIP configured S-76B helicopter into an aircraft equipped for completely different applications,” said Joe Coleman, Director of SAS maintenance, repair and overhaul.

Defense, Agency OK for Columbia Columbia Helicopters can now bid on Department of Defense and other government agency contracts for heavylift helicopter services following approval from the Commercial Airlift Review Board. The CARB audit, conducted by the DOD Commercial Airlift Division, extensively examined all areas of Columbia Helicopters, including maintenance, quality and flight operations. “This will open up whole new areas of opportunities for our company,” said Columbia Helicopters president, Michael Fahey. The company owns and operates the world’s largest privately held fleet of heavy-lift helicopters. Booth 1017.

Erickson Shows Air-Crane Disaster Response Heavylift helicopters have proven their worth in response to natural catastrophes, and Erickson Air-Crane is here with a broad set of mission components that allow it to respond rapidly to any disaster from forest fires to earthquakes. Its Aircrane Incident Response System (AIRS) includes a universal pod that can carry cargo or troops or be converted into a ground-deployable medical facility; a 2,650 gal firefighting tank and water cannon; an aluminum alloy cage rescue basket capable of carrying up to 60 people; and a smaller 15-person basket manufactured

by Precision Lift Inc. Erickson is showing all these and an S-64 helicopter at Booth 459.

Rolls-Royce RR500 in Focus at Heli-Expo Rolls-Royce’s hot ‘n’ high RR500TS is due for certification either this year or next and has been gathering Memoranda of Understanding with OEMs for the 450 shp C20 lookalike. When unveiled in 2009, the engine was described as a scaled-up RR300, the engine that powers the Robinson R66. This year the company can be expected to announce some new airframes for its newest small turbine, and that could mean the Bell LongRanger, MD500, Enstrom, or, for that matter, Sikorsky Global’s line of ex-Hughes, ex-Schweizer light helicopters, the S-333 and S-434 models. Booth 2528.

March 7, 2011

Thales Adds Functions to S-76D Cockpit While Thales claims to have the most integrated and up-to-date glass cockpit in the civil helicopter world with its TopDeck suite on the Sikorsky S-76D, it has taken advantage of delays in the program to add new functionalities before the aircraft enters service next year.

New software will allow TopDeck to incorporate LPV (Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance), XM Weather (on-screen satellite weather services), FFS (Flight Following System), and ADS-B out (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast, transmission from aircraft to ground stations). Sikorsky will offer these capabilities as options.

This new standard involves enhancements to the iFMS 200 flight management system, the TopStar 200 GPS receiver and the Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) to ensure compatibility with new GPS SBAS (Satellite-Based Augmentation System) precision approaches.

Yves Joannic, vice president in charge of Thales’s helicopter activities, said TopDeck is already in production for Sikorsky, and it will be ready with all FAA certifications to deliver to customers when the helicopter itself is certified towards the end of this year.

He noted that because Thales is providing the whole integrated cockpit, it was able to offer the new functionalities through software enhancements that touch on the GPS, FMS and autopilot.

“It’s just software; it adds no weight to the

Pilots will interact with the S-76D’s TopDeck avionics via trackball cursors.

aircraft,” he told ShowNews.

Thales’ victory on the S-76D (it signed the contract in October 2005) was a breakthrough first on a U.S. commercial helicopter. In return it offered breakthrough technology, with TopDeck’s philosophy of Icube-S (it stands for Intuitive, Interactive, Integrated and Safe).

Joannic explained that the intuitive features of TopDeck enable it to help the pilot by anticipating his needs enroute from A to B, or as he changes his flight plan while in the air. It will, for example, be ready with all needed radio frequencies, and monitor fuel flow, even suggesting a refueling stop if needed, to reach the new destination.

Interactivity is through a trackball cursor control and drop-down menus that anticipate what information will be needed.

Integration refers to the fact that Thales developed the whole cockpit, although its open architecture means that sensors and equipment from other manufacturers can be accommodated. “It also means we can integrate future needs with software, such as HTAWS (helicopter terrain alert warning system) and SVS (synthetic vision system), said Joannic.

The cockpit, he added, is 100% NVG (night vision goggle) compatible.

Thales is exhibiting its latest concept for TopDeck, for commercial and military helicopters, at Booth 4038. This incorporates a 15-inch screen in between the two primary flight displays, for SVS, digital map or sensor displays, or to be used as a tactical screen in military or law enforcement helicopters.

—John Morris

Thales Standby is a Helicopter First

Many functions are contained in the IESI.

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Thales’ Integrated Electronic Standby Instrument (IESI) for helicopters is undergoing final flight tests before certification, according to Yves Joannic, vice president in charge of Thales’s helicopter activities. It will be standard equipment in the Sikorsky S-76D and all future Eurocopters. An example is on show at Booth 4038.

Unlike other IESI’s that have been adapted from the fixed-wing world, Thales believes this is the first such instrument designed from the outset for helicopters.

It is fully autonomous and battery powered, meaning it works even when there is a complete power failure. It not only provides emergency situational awareness, but also incorporates a communications function.

“It’s immune to big-city radio interference, can sustain 4G maneuvers, and will sustain high vibration,” said Joannic. “It is not, as in the past, coming from the fixed-wing world.”

March 7, 2011

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Around the Show

The 250-kt Sikorsky X2 is currently the world’s fastest helicopter.

Heli-Expo is the world’s showcase for the latest in helicopter trends. This year’s display brought out new models, revitalized classics, and a notable presence of military aircraft as Bell showed its 407 gunship and AgustaWestland the AW139M. Eurocopter showed its new EC135 2Te.

The venerable Bell 47 is being revived

by Scott’s–Bell 47 Inc. Eagle Copters re-engines Bell 407s with Honeywell’s HTS-900.

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March 7, 2011

AgustaWestland’s new AW169 twin.

Two lightweights: A Robinson R22 (rear) and a Sikorsky S-300CBi. Sikorsky S-76D aims for certification late this year.

Cougar Helicopters operates this Sikorsky S-92.

A well-dressed outrider at Dart Helicopters.

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March 7, 2011

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AgustaWestland Debuts the AW139M Jean Boulet Dead at 90: Famed Test Pilot Flew Many Early French Helicopters Eurocopter gave notice last month that test pilot Jean Boulet, who set 17 world records during his career, including an altitude record in 1972 that still stands, passed away on February 15 at the age of 90. He was first hired in 1947 by SNCASE, which would later become Sud Aviation and then the helicopter division of Aerospatiale.

“Jean Boulet was one of the greatest pioneers in the history of rotorcraft flight testing,” Eurocopter said. Boulet’s career included the first flights of the SE3000, the SE3101, the Alouette, Frelon, Puma, Gazelle families and the Lama – in which he reached an altitude of 12,442 meters (40,820 feet) on June 21, 1972.

Jean Boulet received the prestigious “X Supaéro” engineering degree from the French aeronautics institute in Toulouse, and logged more than 9,000 flight hours – including more than 8,000 in helicopters. “The courageous pilot was well known for his love of flying and derring-do, but was also widely respected for his modesty and unassuming nature,” Eurocopter said. Eurocopter is at Booth 4637.

AgustaWestland (Booth 3811) last month unveiled the made-in-Philadelphia AW139M, the customized military version of its multi-role, AW139 medium twin. The AW139M has been fitted with proven U.S. military technology for the U.S. Air Force’s Common Vertical Lift Support Program. Equipment includes high-definition FLIR, self-protection hardware including infrared detection and countermeasures, avionics, heavy duty landing gear, and ballistically-tolerant, self-sealing fuel tanks. The AW139M is available with a full ice protection system, “allowing all-weather operation at the U.S. Air Force’s northern-tier missile bases,” the manufacturer says. The helicopter can be seen here in the Static Display.

Honeywell HUMS Available on AW139 Honeywell’s 1134 Zing HUMS (Health and Usage Monitoring System) is now available with STC approval on the AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter, which is also equipped with Honeywell’s Primus Epic avionics. The 1134 Zing is an on-board HUMS for full aircraft monitoring of rotor tracking and balance, engine diagnostics, drive train and gearbox. Data is uploaded from the helicopter to a web-based portal after every flight.

The first installation is on the AW139 used for transportation by Honeywell chairman and CEO Dave Cote. Honeywell is at Booth 3021.

Embry-Riddle Wants Data on Birdstrikes Got a birdstrike story? Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University would like to hear about it. ERAU’s Center for Wildlife and Aviation is here for the first time (Booth 4206) as part of its campaign to encourage wildlife strike reporting among airport operators, pilots, and others involved in aviation. It is providing this service under funding as a non-profit organization on behalf of the FAA/USDA-WS Birdstrike Database outreach program. http://wildlifecenter.pr.erau.edu/

It’s a British Cover Up for Robinson R66 Air Covers, the British designer and manufacturer of military and civil helicopter covers, has uncovered its latest product here: a hull cover for the Robinson R66. The company visited the Robinson factory in Torrance, Calif., last year for form and fit, and has spent three months developing the R66 cover. Its covers, CAD designed for each model, are protecting many makes of helicopters in climates from the Arctic to offshore, and are serving with the military in Afghanistan. Booth 1646.

First CAE S-76C++ Level D Sim for Brazil Helicopter test pilot Jean Boulet was known for his love of flying. He set 17 world records.

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CAE and Lider Aviacao, the largest helicopter operator in Brazil, will form a joint venture to provide advanced, simulation-based, helicopter pilot training in South America in early 2012 with a full-motion Level D CAE 3000 series full-flight simulator (FFS) for the Sikorsky S-76C++. “Offshore oil and gas platform transport services will generate significant helicopter fleet growth in the coming years, requiring well-trained, highly-skilled pilots,” said Junia Hermont Correa, chief operating officer of Lider. The company operates more than 50 helicopters – nearly half the fleet servicing the oil and gas market in Brazil.

March 7, 2011

Bell Morphs Its Models Two new models unveiled here by Bell Helicopter, illustrate its intention to upgrade its commercial product line now that its military business is contributing strongly to profits once again.

“The V-22 Osprey [tiltrotor] and UH-1 programs are doing well,” says Bell Helicopter president & CEO John Garrison.

And Bell’s aftermarket business, which Garrison has streamlined and consolidated, is proving to be a strong third leg of Bell’s strategy for the future.

“In commercial we have a whole new

team to lead the effort to drive changes for the future,” he told ShowNews. “We’ve John Garrison. invested in teams for sales, marketing and product development, increased spending on R&D for the future, and on becoming more cost competitive in engineering and manufacturing. We’re pushing hard to execute on all of that.”

Bell has at last begun deliveries of its longawaited 429 large-cabin light twin, and will reap the benefits of ramping up production.

Twenty-two were delivered last year, and output will double to around 40 in 2011. “It really gives us a differentiating capability in that light twin space that our previous product offering just didn’t meet,” says Garrison.

The 429 joins the 407 light single, of which Bell has now delivered more than 1,000, and a Bell 412 medium twin that has been upgraded with more power and a glass cockpit (“it’s received incredible product reviews from customers,” said Garrison.

“Expect more product extensions and upgrades,” he added. The latest are two iterations of the Bell 407, unveiled here on Sunday. Both are described by Garrison as “significant, and very exciting.”

407GX Adds Garmin 1000 THE EVER-POPULAR LIGHT SINGLE now sports a fully inte-

407AH Adds Fire Power “WE’VE ADDED WEAPONS,” said Bell’s senior vice president for com-

mercial business, Larry Roberts. “This is the first Bell-qualified, commercially available 407 with guns.”

Unlike previous military gunship developments, the 407AH is intended “as a cheap shooter, not a complex weapons system.” There are no complicated targeting systems, just point and shoot, said Roberts.

The 407AH has been qualified in live tests with a 2.75 inch rocket pod on the port landing gear structure, and a Dillon Aero M134 minigun on the starboard. Plans call for qualifying a 50 cal. gun by the end of the month.

All weapons can be removed in 15-20 minutes.

Roberts said the goal is to provide a Bell 407 that can be weaponized for some missions and revert to utility mode for others. It retains its rear seat and large sliding door for passenger or cargo access.

The version on show here has what Roberts describes as “a very, very nice law enforcement package,” including a FLIR Talon dual EO/IR sensor. The cockpit features a Garmin 500 EFIS for its nav displays.

Price is around $5 million “versus the $8-10 million for what’s out there now,” said Roberts. The aircraft is available now, and Bell is talking with two governments for first orders, he added.

“We can do this with twins, too,” he said, including the Bell 429 light twin. www.aviationweek.com/shownews

grated Garmin 1000 glass cockpit as the Bell 407GX, and the new model already has an international launch customer with an order for 30 helicopters. Several corporate VIP customers in South America and the Pacific Rim have also placed orders.

“We’re working on a couple of U.S. launch customers as well,” said Larry Roberts, senior vice president for commercial business.

The Garmin 1000 Apogee cockpit brings the 407GX a host of features to reduce pilot workload and improve situational awareness. Among them: traffic information, HTAWS (forward-looking helicopter terrain avoidance warning system), synthetic vision, and a fuel flow meter that displays range rings on a moving map display that adjusts automatically for any pressure altitude ad power setting.

“For the first time in a helicopter, we are bringing functionality through voice recognition,” said Roberts.

“The goal is to have many pilot tasks, such as selecting radio frequencies, through voice recognition.”

Another feature is a highresolution camera focused to the rear that can present views of the tail rotor in flight or in confined spaces.

ADS-B in and out will be part of the Garmin 1000 now standard baseline package. First deliveries on the 407GX. will be in July/August, said Roberts. Retrofits will be available in the future for existing 407s, he added.

The 407GX will be produced alongside the standard 407, and will cost $125,000 more. “That’s roughly what customers spend in the aftermarket for EFIS etc. We are offering so much more for about the same price.” The Garmin 1000 adds only six lbs to the helicopter’s weight, Roberts noted.

March 7, 2011

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Kaman Opens Mexico Plant, Targeting Commercial Market, OEMs and Their Suppliers Kaman Aerospace, seeking to reduce its 70% dependence on military business, has opened a plant in Chihuahua, Mexico to help reduce the cost of commercial products. Aluminum extrusions for both OEM helicopter manufacturers and their suppliers is the first product.

“We’re working very hard in expanding our footprint in the commercial Greg Steiner. side,” says Greg Steiner, president of Kaman Aerospace Group.

“We see a lot of value in having a more balanced portfolio.”

“We’re bidding a lot of packages right now for commercial firms everywhere,” he told ShowNews.

Kaman (Booth 2521) already makes rotor blades for Bell, Steiner says.

Other Kaman military products with commercial potential include erosionprotective coatings for blades (the 1,000th was delivered for a U.S. Army Blackhawk last year), more aerostructures (Kaman builds cockpits for Sikorsky) and composite parts.

Why Mexico? “To do business in the commercial area today, you have to have low-cost manufacturing.”

As for the K-Max, Kaman’s distinctive counter-rotating heavy-lifter, 35 of the Honeywell T53-17-powered aircraft were built and 21 are still flying, Steiner says.

Two are being developed with Lockheed Martin as unmanned aerial vehicles for the Marine Corps.

—Rich Piellisch

Kaman may increase employment to 500 at the 60,000-sq-ft maquiladora plant it opened this past November in Chihuahua.

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Collins Installs First Helicopter ProLine 21 The first helicopter installation of a Rockwell Collins ProLine 21 Integrated Display System, has been made in an S-61, by the avionics company and Vector Aerospace of Toronto. The glass cockpit features two 10 x 8 in liquid crystal primary flight displays, solid-state TWR-850 weather radar system with turbulence detection, AHS-3000A Attitude Heading Reference System (AHARS), and TDR-94D Mode S Transponder with ADS-B out capability. Options include Integrated Flight Information System (IFIS) with electronic charting, XM graphical weather, and enhanced maps. Booth 4306.

Which Wire? Laselec Marks with UV Laser Toulouse-based Laselec is promoting its MRO 200 series UV laser wire markers for maintenance, repair and overhaul operations, noting that existing customers can take advantage of new features by upgrading their basic MRO 200-A machines up to the MRO 200-B, MRO 200-S and MRO 200-XS models. The MRO 200 machines are equipped with an exclusive “auto-calibration” function allowing automatic control and adjustment of marking energy level, customizable per wire type. The compact MT 200 allows cable samples to be marked using an accurate UV laser. Recent installations include Delta Tech Ops and Hawker Beechcraft.

Booth 3962.

AW139 Gets Night Vision With STC by ASU The first Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for night vision for the AgustaWestland AW139, was announced here by Aviation Specialties Unlimited. This is the third modification that ASU has done for Era Helicopters (it previously completed two BK 117s), and it will modify another AW139 later this year. ASU’s focus is on providing turnkey solutions for night vision cockpit lighting, initial and recurrent training for flight crews on the use of night vision, and assistance in establishing night vision programs.

To date, ASU has sold over 2,500 aviator systems within the U.S. Booth 3033.

World-Leading AW139 Gets Even Better The AgustaWestland AW139 is the world leader in its class, with more than 500 of the medium twins sold in more than 50 countries, the manufacturer says. More than one third of those sales are for offshore oil and gas transportation – and now it will become even better at that mission with two new certifications.

These will allow it to operate from helipads less than the length of the helicopter, and to operate in sea state six conditions with a special emergency float system. Booth 3811.

March 7, 2011

AgustaWestland Outpaces Market Growth AgustaWestland delivered 111 commerEMS is just one cial helicopters in 2010, and increased its role for the AW169. commercial order book 56% from 2009.

This performance illustrates how the Italian manufacturer is taking a larger share of a global civil helicopter market that, while in a long-term growth trend, was flat last year, CEO Giuseppe Orsi disclosed at Heli-Expo.

In fact AgustaWestland has been growing at more than three times the rate of the market since 2004, he noted. The next growth in the global civil market will come next year, led by demand from the offshore and parapublic sectors, followed by corporate/VIP as the world’s economies recover.

The AW139 medium twin is largely responsible for AgustaWestland’s success, with more than 500 ordered or delivered and taking a one third share of the world’s AgustaWestland is accepting orders for its new AW169 light-medium twin engined helioffshore/oil and gas sector, Orsi noted. The copter following its commercial launch here at Heli-Expo, and will announce the order book helicopter represented 46% of the com- at the Paris Air Show in June. pany’s civil deliveries in 2010, with light “No options. These will be firm orders or we don’t take them,” AgustaWestland CEO twins accounting for 41%, and single Giuseppe Orsi said at Heli-Expo. The company expects to deliver 900 of the new model in engine helicopters 13%. Orders for the the next 20 years, he added.

AW139 increased 42% last year, he added.

First flight is planned for next year, with certification at the end of 2014. Kits of equipIncluding military helment for numerous missions will be ready and icopters, AgustaWestland available when the helicopter is certified. won orders for 230 helicopThe AW169 is a 10-passenger, 4.5 ton ters, worth EUR 3.2 billion light-medium twin powered by two 1,000 shp ($4.47 billion), last year, Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210 engines. It will bringing its backlog to feature an advanced technology main rotor systhree years’ worth of protem and advanced avionics. And it will have the duction. largest cabin (an unobstructed 222.48 sq ft) With AgustaWestland as well as the largest cabin doors in its class, contributing 19% of revAgustaWestland says. enues and 26% of pre-tax profits (EBITA) of its Outstanding visibility and latest avionics mark the AW169 cockpit. parent Finmeccanica, The AW169 claims the largest cabin in its class. there is strong corporate support for development of new products and technologies for vertical flight, Orsi said.

These efforts are focused on three main areas: “Friendly” all-weather helicopters that can go anywhere at any time with minimum impact on the environment or their surroundings; unmanned flight (it plans to fly a rotorcraft UAV based on the PZL SW-4 by the end of 2012); and development and commercialization of the BA609 and tiltrotor technology.

—John Morris

AW169 Seen as Another Winner

www.aviationweek.com/shownews

March 7, 2011

11

It’s HATSOFF to the Vision For Helicopter Simulator Center in Southern India Asia-Pacific’s most sophisticated helicopter training and simulation center is about to double its capacity, with the arrival of a CAE simulator for the Indian Dhruv helicopter.

The Hatsoff center (it stands for Helicopter Academy to Train by Simulation of Flying) in Bengaluru, India, is a $65 million joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and Canada’s CAE (Booth 1253), and is one of the few in the world to feature the highest level, full motion, full mission Level D simulators for a range of helicopters.

It opened for business last July with a Bell 412EP simulator, and has since trained 55 students. The simulator for the civil Dhruv will come on stream in May, followed by a Dauphin 365N3, and a military Dhruv early next year.

“We now have long term contacts with more than 80% of India’s Bell 412 operators,” Hatsoff CEO Wing Commander (Retd.) C. D. Upadhyay told ShowNews.

Marketing efforts will focus next on operators of the Dauphin and Dhruv, including the Indian military, for whom training in simulators has not been part of their culture.

The variety of simulators has been made possible by CAE’s unique roll on/roll off concept, where interchangeable cockpit units can be docked into a full motion “mothership” in just two hours. This allows them to share the same computers, visuals and chassis; when a cockpit isn’t inside the “mothership” it will be used as an FTD (fixed training device).

Plans call for more cockpits (for the Light Combat and Light Utility helicopters) and a second “mothership” as the center takes on full mission training for the military. “It will also be a tool for the Test Pilot School,” said Upadhyay, who was himself chief test pilot on the Dhruv program.

Business will eventually be 65-70% military and the rest civil, he said, with a goal of drawing customers from neighboring countries.

The economics behind the center are interesting.

CAE and HAL contributed 30% of the $65 million investment, with the rest coming from a loan. Aimed at a market of 55 Bell 412s and 35 Dauphins in India, this represents spending of almost $750,000 per helicopter!

Faith in the future is based on the Dhruv, of which the military has already ordered 159, and future growth in the helicopter market, said Upadhyay.

“We must use the motherships 16 hours a day to repay the loan as planned in nine years.”

—John Morris 12

www.aviationweek.com/shownews

The simulators’ “Mothership.”

“We now have long term contracts with more than 80% of India’s Bell 412 operators.”

—Hatsoff CEO, Wing Commander (Retd.) C.D. Upadhyay

March 7, 2011

BCA’s March Issue Presents

Rotorcraft:

An Ops & Safety Feature An integrated print-digital experience The first special Ops & Safety Report of 2011 delivers multichannel “how-to”content for helicopter owners, operators and influencers.

SEPTEMBER 2010

$10.00

March Issue Special Report:

BCA editors examine circumstances surrounding the loss of tail rotor effectiveness.

AviationWeek.com The business aviation channel details how pilots can counter or avoid dangerous situations that include uncontrolled ground impact.

Multimedia Online-Only Features:

Heavy Lift:

Large Helicopters in Corporate Service Also in This Issue:

Statistics Point the Way to Safety Harder Than It Looks Matter of Perspective Emergency Evacuation From Foreign Countries

www.AviationWeek.com/bca

• Photo and video galleries • Interactive Q&A with experts • Links to deeper information and data resources • Blogs and forums

BCA: Essential “how-to” intelligence for over 50 years