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Aviation History
1995
1995 - 0232.PDF
ZJZJ FAA plans to publish standards for helicopter GPS approach THE US FEDERAL Aviation Administration has completed a four-site test programme to develop standards for helicopter non-precision-approaches, using global positioning (GPS). A GPS-based approach was demonstrated at Heli-Expo using a Eurocopter BK.117 equipped with an AlliedSignal Bendix/King KLN-90B GPS and Arnav Systems datalink. Steve Hickok, helicopter GPS projects manager at the FAA, says that GPS approaches have been implemented at four sites as a result of the industry-supported test pro gramme, which was intended to develop standards for the design of stand-alone GPS approaches. Involved were die Erlanger Life Force at Chattanooga, Tennessee, using a Bell 412 equipped with a Garmin GPS and Arnav datalink; Petroleum Helicopters at Morgan City, Louisiana, with the same 412/Garmin/Arnav combination; the University of Wisconsin at Madison, widi a Corporate Jets Eurocopter AS.365, equipped with a Trimble GPS; and the Mayo Clinic at Rochester, Minnesota, widi a BK.117 equipped with an AlliedSignal GPS. Hickok says that the standards for helicopter GPS non-precision approaches are expected to be pub lished in June. Results of the test programme are "very good", he says, adding that data from the 200 tracked approaches flown in "obstacle- rich environments" are "very accurate", showing no measur able navigation-sensor error even with accuracy-degrading selective availability on the GPS signal. The accuracy possible with the GPS will reduce the separation needed between approach paths and obstacles such as buildings, compared with a conventional instrument approach, he says. This will make designing non- precision approaches for heli copters easier, as shown by the Heli-Expo demonstration. Design of the approach to the car park at the Las Vegas conven tion centre was only begun in December, Hickok notes. The Heli-Expo exercise also demonstrated helicopter automat ic dependent-surveillance. The BK.l 17's GPS position was trans mitted by datalink for display, in real time, at the Arnav exhibition stand and the nearby McCarran Airport control tower. • EC.120 assembly to start shortly FINAL ASSEMBLY OF THE First Eurocopter EC.120 light single-turbine helicopter will begin soon at Marignagne, Eurocopter hopes to avoid EC. 135/BK. 117 clash France. The first flight is sched uled for the second half of 1995 and initial deliveries for 1997. The 1.5t gross-weight EC.120 is being developed jointly by Eurocopter France, Singapore Aerospace and CATIC of China. Three flight-test air craft are planned, the first powered by a 375kW (280hp) Turbomeca Arrius 1B1 engine. Following the pattern set with die new EC. 135 light twin, the EC. 120 is also likely to be offered widi the Pratt & Whitnev Canada PW200, says Eurocopter president Jean-Francois Bigay. The EC. 135 was launched formally on to the North American market at Heli-Expo, with display of die Arrius 2B-powered third pre- production aircraft. A US sales-demonstration tour was planned following die show. Bigay says diat the 2.5t gross- weight helicopter will be certificat ed by the end of the year and that deliveries will begin in die first quarter of 1996. Eurocopter Germany plans to build 30 EC. 135s a year initially, but hopes to increase production to 60 a year eventually Price for the seven-seat helicopter has been set at DM3 million (Si.98 million), 30% less than McDonnell Douglas' competing Explorer, according to Bigay, who admits diat the EC. 135 might also compete widi Eurocopter's BK.117 medium twin, which costs DM5 million. Bigay says that studies contin ue into options to replace the BK.117 and AS.365 Dauphin in the 4-5t gross-weight class, under the designations EC. 145 and EC.165. Neither helicopter would be launched before 1997, he says. Eurocopter's plans for the 8-10t gross-weight class cen tre on a commercial derivative of the NH90 military helicopter. The first NH90 prototype is scheduled to be flown before the end of this year. • EH101technology is destined for fixed-wing aircraft T HE ACTIVE VIBRATION- control system of the EH Industries EH 101 helicopter could soon be applied to a fixed- wing aircraft. Brian Main, chief engineer on the programme at EHI partner Westland, will not identify the potential airframe application, apart from hinting that it is twin-engined, and for a military application. The EH101 system uses ten sensors to collect vibration inputs, which are processed by a central computer which sends anti-phase actuation instructions to four hydraulic struts connected to the main gearbox mounting. Main says that the system damps 17.5Hz vibrations at the gearbox so well that the accelerations mea sured at the cabin floor are reduced to one-seventh of what they would be without control. • Following the simultaneous US/UK/Italian certification at the end of 1994 of the -300 and -500 (civil and ramp-loading utility) ver sions of die EH101, the company is now embarking on a 6,000h flying programme aimed at demonstrat ing the type's ability in actual ser vice conditions (Flight International, 14-20 December, 1994). Two aircraft, one based at Brindisi in Italy, and the other working in the North Sea oil fields, will be used in this trial. The company does not yet have a civil customer for the EH101, but says that it is "very hopeful" that a North Sea operator will place the first order "before the end of 1995". It predicts sales of 200 civil machines over a 25-year period, along with military sales of 500. 3 NEWS IN BRIEF • TEST CELL Arizona Rotorcraft has taken delivery of a Turbocell 1000 engine test cell built by Turbomotive. The cell, rated up to 745kW (l,000shp), is initially configured for Allison 250 engines and will be based at the company's Mesa headquarters. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 8-14 February 1995 9
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