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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 0398.PDF
HAI CONVENTION REPORT ANAHEIM Schweizer 330 approaches flight The Schweizer 330 turbine helicopter is expected to fly in March. The company expects to deliver 12 production examples by the end of 1989, and aims to sell 1,000 by the end of the century. Retaining the dynamic system of the piston-engined 300C, the new design is to be powered by the Allison 225-C10A derated from 350 s.h.p. to 200 s.h.p. Schweizer expects military training to provide by far the largest custom for the helicopter, which is being produced with known US Army and West German Army requirements in mind. The company says that safety and crashworthiness are at the centre of the design. There is to be 22in of crush- able structure beneath the pilot seats, and a structural keel extends forward to cater for the nose-over case. Vice- president Paul Schweizer says there has been no known case of rotor entry into the cabin of a 300. Three side-by-side seats with the centre unit posi tioned slightly aft provide for two students to be overseen by an instructor. This is described by Schweizer as a unique combination. A mock- up at HAI was fitted with $100,000-worth of Honeywell Sperry avionics, and target list price for a basic machine is put at $300,000. Schweizer claims that it could have taken orders for the first two years' prod uction, but has declined to accept orders until the heli copter is flying. The company has not begun to market the 330 "except to one or two major potential customers". Complete production of the 300C is not yet taking place at the Schweizer factory in New York State, but the company claims that it produces a far- greater proportion of the machine than did Hughes (from which it bought the design). This year's planned production of 60 Model 300s has been raised to 68. Sales to law-enforcement agencies remain strong, and Schweizer reports a pick-up in sales for power line observation flying. The company says that 1988 could be its best year ever, with total sales for all of its motor-gliders, sailplanes, agricultural aircraft, helicop ters, and subcontract work exceeding $30 million. Its business is split 57 per cent 300C production, 25 per cent subcontract work, 11 per cent ag aircraft, 6 per cent sail planes, and the remainder surveillance aircraft. Allison offers 250-C20R The question facing helicop ter operators is not whether to fit the Allison 250-C20R engine, but when to do it— now or later, claims George Mayo, Allison small-engine product-line director. Under lining the improved perfor mance which arises from the -C20R's reduced specific fuel consumption, Mayo reports a lot of interest from operators who want to update their present -C20B engines at the next overhaul. Allison is making a strong pitch at this market, having set up assistance financing through GM Acceptance Corporation. The company claims that the new variant of the Allison 250 will have 4 per cent lower fuel consump tion at take-off and 2-3 per cent less in cruise, compared with the earlier -C20B. Mayo sees huge market potential for updating exist ing machines: more than 13,000 -C20s in service have flown over 35,000,000hr. Some 90 units have been shipped to Agusta, which is supplying Italian civil and military A. 109 customers, and the engine has been selected for McDonnell Douglas MD- 500D/E helicopters. A number of Supplemental Type Certificates are being sought, in addition to those already obtained by Allison for the Bell 206B JetRanger and 206L LongRanger. ERA Helicopters is working with the manufacturer on a -C20R kit for the MBB BO.105. The engine is a candidate for the McDonnell Douglas MDX and MBB BO.108 projects. The 450 s.h.p. powerplant, derated from 500 s.h.p., could be fitted to more than 2,000 -C20B-equipped helicopters, according to Mayo. Allison says that the -C20R offers 14 per cent more power for take off at 27°C or 20 per cent more than the -B for take-off at 5,000ft. The new model incor porates a modified compres sor, longer-life bearings in the gearbox, turbine first-stage energy-absorbing ring (for protection in the event of fail ure), thicker combustor case, and modified flow area at the first, third, and fourth-stage turbine nozzles. • Allison has completed 2,200hr of preliminary flight- rating tests on the T406. Three XT406 ground-test units and four YT406 flight- test examples have been deliv ered to Boeing. Allison is promoting its 250-C20R for new and retrofit applications MODEL 250-C2QR Lycoming plans LTS101 improvements Among several helicopter and engine manufacturers empha sising the need to reduce operating costs, Textron Lycoming announces a $20 million programme "in engineering alone" to improve the LTS101 turboshaft engine. The powerplant is used on the MBB BK.117, Bell 222, Aerospatiale AS.350D, and Aerospatiale HH-65A helicopters. Although the US Coast Guard is considering the feasibility of replacing the engine on its HH-65As, Text ron Lycoming says that fear of such a retrofit did not drive the so-called "1 On 1" programme. Rather, it came from "a genuine desire to give operators the engine we know we can give". Its priority is to remove the current airworthiness direc tives, which require daily inspections, and revert to 50hr intervals. A revised trou bleshooting procedure will be introduced to reduce mainte nance action, and several repairs are to be initiated. Textron Lycoming says that new seals will be certifi cated in three months' time and that a power turbine retention system should be ready by September. New rear-bearing support housings and a new bladed power turbine are expected to follow next year. These should reduce coking and leakage, according to the manu facturer. Acknowledging the need to reduce operating costs, Text ron says that it will expand the network of technical representatives. Some coun tries with few engines in service, for example Sweden, may lose their service centres, but this will be offset by more- comprehensively stocked centres with larger inven tories. Dedicated liaison engineers are to be introduced between centres and the manufacturer, and a new logistics centre is to be set up at Dallas for primary-parts distribution. Textron Lycoming says that some of its repairs will be free retrofits, while other work will be at special no- profit prices. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 20 February 1988
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