FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1986
1986 - 0364.PDF
HAI REPORT ANAHEIM Allison forecasts modest growth Allison sees reduced growth in the world helicopter market in the next decade. The com pany's market analysts fore cast 15,000 "free-world" deliv eries in that period (down 2,600 from its last forecast), of which 8,400 will be civil models. Of these, about 5,100 will be for the US civil market. The General Motors sub sidiary sees a trend towards twin-engined machines. Light, single-engined helicop ters will account for 2,500 units in the US market, light twins 1,325, and intermediate class machines some 1,140. The forecast predicts only 140 medium/heavy • helicopters being sold during the next ten years. The US market will be double that of the rest of the "Free World", with the major growth in the light/inter mediate class, says George Mayo, Allison's new director of small-aircraft engines. Mayo replaces R. F. "Fritz" Harvey who moved to Agusta recently. He predicts that the 50 per cent market share enjoyed by twins this year will have increased to around two- thirds of the market by 1995. Overall growth will be slow. Allison general manager Dr Blake Wallace says that the company has enjoyed an excellent past year, despite the general recession. "Everything we forecast in 1984 has been met," says Wallace. "There has been massive investment to enable us to move forward." The 250-C30 engine is now used in the Sikorsky S-76, Ahip, McDonnell Douglas 530E, and Bell LongRanger E. The 250 is available as a replacement powerplant for the AS.350C and the company has now made "power by the hour" available to operators. Emphasising the concern to maintain customer product support, Allison employs 700 support staff for Model 250 customers, says Wallace. The uprated 735 s.h.p. 250-C34 is being developed and certification is expected this autumn with production starting in early 1987. Allison is targeting this model at the S-76. The 500 s.h.p. 250-C20R engine has been given a new- technology compressor, is uprated, and is expected to achieve certification this spring, followed by immediate production. While it is aimed at the Bell TwinRanger, Agusta and MBB are showing interest, says Allison. Also being developed is the 350 s.h.p. Model 225 engine. It will be available in late 1987 or early 1988 and will be aimed to compete in the fixed- wing piston-engined market, says Wallace, as well as in the light helicopter role. It is suited to the "Third World" market. The company has decided to re-enter the commercial heavy transport market with a 12,000 s.h.p. propfan engine aimed at aircraft in the 100/150-passenger class (Flight, February 8, page 50). Wallace says that the company has invested "a substantial sum of money" in the programme and is committed to seeing it through flight-test. Meanwhile, the T800 LHT- 800 developed for the Experi mental Light Helicopter programme (LHX) has logged 300hr of flight-testing in a Huey since March last year. The engine has demonstrated 1,250 s.h.p. and been tested for high-altitude performance and air-starting. Fuel con sumption has been evaluated, as has the unit's blade clear ance characteristics. Allison has teamed up with Garrett for the LHX programme to achieve the US Government's requirement for dual production of all components. The programme is "a procurement milestone for the industry", says Wallace. The company has been chosen by the Pentagon for the JVX/V-22 Osprey Tilt Rotor programme and is developing the 6,000 s.h.p. 501-M80C, which is a deriva tive of the T701 and of the T56 Series IV 570. Allison predicts a gradual move towards light twin-engined sales Allison's view of free world civil helicopter deliveries Single vs multi-engine turbine (8,400 aircraft) J Multi-engine ; Single engine 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Allison's composite free world civil helicopter forecast 1986-1995 Light turbine twin Total free world shipments (8,400 aircraft) Light turbine single Shipments to U.S. markets (5,100 aircraft) Light turbine twin 31 -87% Medium/heavy^™"™' Light turbine single Shipments to r.o.w. markets (3,300 aircraft) Sales for 1986 will be the same as for 1985, says Allison. The corporate market cannot compensate for the depressed offshore industry, whose growth potential is very limited. The present unstable level of oil prices makes exact predictions difficult. "We will just have to wait and see," says Wallace. He is convinced that the long-term future of the light civil helicopter is secure. "My prediction is that helicopters will become more popular than fixed-wing aircraft for plant-to-plant business travel." Wallace is confident that with three derivative engines of the Model 250, two new engines, product improve ments, and uprated product support, Allison is well posi tioned for the future. Aerospatiale appoints new US chief Herbert B. Epstein was appointed as new president of Aerospatiale Helicopter Corporation on January 1. Epstein was formerly with Vought Helicopters, and has had a long connection with Aerospatiale. He has special ised in product support. The Aerospatiale AS.350-1, announced at last year's Paris Air Show, won its French certification on January 9. It is seen as being com plementary to the 350B. Eighteen B-ls have already been sold, including two into the US market. Powered by the Arriel ID, which has been uprated by 43 s.h.p. to 693 s.h.p., the aircraft is designed for improved hot/high performance. The AS.355-F2, an improved version of the successful Twinstar, received DGAC certification last December. Four have been ordered for the US market and deliveries start during the autumn of 1986. Last year saw the delivery of 24 SA.366 G-l Dolphins, the US Coast Guard version of the 365N (also designated HH-65A). The Coast Guard contract, originally worth $215 million, calls for 96 aircraft to be delivered through to 1988. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 15 February 1986
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
