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Bell shuffles executive staff, chases new orders for 429
March 01, 2010
Bell Helicopter has announced senior staff changes and the integration of its XworX research and development center into its engineering department, at a time when questions persist about the company’s future role in the BA609 civil tiltrotor program and the launch customer for the 429 light twin helicopter seeks to back out of its purchase agreement....
moreNew AD for Super Pumas reduces inspection intervals
March 01, 2010
The EASA issued a new AD for the Eurocopter Super Puma intermediate gearbox (IGB) fairing gutter on December 21, calling for correction as described in Eurocopter service bulletins. It also requires reduced inspection intervals.
The intermediate gearbox fairing gutter first attracted scrutiny in 2005. At that time, one IGB fairing gutter separated from a...
moreManufacturer promises new booms for AW139
March 01, 2010
In the wake of the highly publicized tail-boom failure on a Gulf Airways AW139 last August 25, AgustaWestland has been quietly assuring customers with AW139s on order that it will begin equipping them with a new-design tail boom beginning next month. The boom on the Gulf AW139 failed while the aircraft was taxiing in Doha, Qatar, and there were no injuries....
moreCivil Helo Deliveries To Remain Flat, Honeywell Says
February 25, 2010
Honeywell’s 12th annual turbine-powered civil helicopter purchase outlook, which was released today, projects flat overall deliveries of new civil-use helicopters for the next five years compared with the 2005 to 2009 period. “Continued soft economic growth prospects in key markets, lingering tight credit conditions, high inventories of used current...
moreCrowds Come Out for Busy Houston Heli-Expo
February 23, 2010
Nearly 15,000 attendees filled the exhibit hall at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston through the second day of Heli-Expo 2010. The three-day show officially comes to a close today. The total number of exhibitors this year was 596, up from 585 last year. Total attendance was expected to be within 1 to 3 percent of last year’s record 17,373....
moreEurocopter unveils EC175 SAR mockup
February 23, 2010
Eurocopter (Booth No. 3128) brought back its full-scale, medium twin EC175 mockup to Heli-Expo–with a twist: it is reconfigured for search-and-rescue (SAR) operations. The EC175 SAR suite includes a 360-degree search radar, an electro-optical system, high-intensity searchlight, two class-one rescue hoists, bubble windows and additional aircraft lighting....
moreCobham adds SAS for light helicopters
February 23, 2010
Cobham Avionics, specifically the former S-Tec autopilot house in Mineral Wells, Texas, yesterday described the functions, features and financial benefits of its HeliSAS digital two-axis, stability-augmentation and autopilot system (SAS) for light helicopters. Jim Shirey, Cobham Avionics helicopter autopilot product manager, gave $125,000 as the approximate...
moreAW retools tail boom for retrofit on 139
February 23, 2010
In the wake of a tail-boom failure on a Gulf Airways AW139 in August last year, AgustaWestland (Booth No. 1629) is assuring customers with helicopters on order that it will deliver them with a newly designed boom starting in April. The tail boom on the Gulf AW139 failed several months after the tail boom had struck an oil rig and while the helicopter was...
moreNight-vision goggle training offered by two exhibiting firms
February 23, 2010
Given recent NTSB recommendations on safety in EMS helicopter night operations, emphasis on training flight crews in the use of night-vision goggles (NVG) has increased. Two companies offering that training who are exhibiting at Heli-Expo 2010 are Aviation Specialties Unlimited (Booth No. 2101) and Night Flight Concepts (Booth 1024).Aviation Specialties of...
moreRussians plan for a growing market
February 23, 2010
The annual Russian Hour at Heli-Expo yesterday played to a full house. It is the third year that Russian exhibitors at the show have joined to offer a presentation profiling their nation’s helicopter industry and market activity, and there was plenty to talk about.Mikhail Kazachkov, head of Russian Helicopter Systems, left no doubt as to the size of the...
moreEurocopter lauded for Haiti helo relief efforts
February 23, 2010
Shortly after the devastating earthquake on January 12, Eurocopter decided to participate in the worldwide support of the people of Haiti. Partnering with the Dominican Republic air force, which immediately agreed to provide pilots, Eurocopter donated the services of two helicopters to assist rescue and recovery efforts.During a four-week period, Eurocopter...
moreKaman develops blade coating
February 23, 2010
Kaman Helicopters (Booth No. 2329) is reporting significant success applying Hontek erosion-protection blade coating to U.S. military helicopters in Iraq and Afghanistan and sees a wider market for civil oil and gas-producing operators, particularly in the North Sea and the Middle East. Kaman is an approved applicator of the three-stage,...
moreMetro teams with Cobham
February 23, 2010
Helicopter completion center and air medical operator Metro Aviation (Booth No. 3528) announced developments in both its core businesses and a strong 2009 during a press conference yesterday. On the completions side, the company, which specializes in the Eurocopter AS350 series, is teaming with Cobham Avionics (Booth No. 4405) to obtain an STC for...
moreSuper AWOS to the rescue
February 23, 2010
Potomac Aviation Technology (Booth No. 2203) is showcasing SuperAWOS, its proprietary approach to supplying automated pilot weather information, at Heli-Expo. Contained in a single compact unit, SuperAWOS operates on CTAF frequencies, eliminating the need for a discrete AWOS frequency. “The broadcast has everything that an AWOS III has, but the system has...
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