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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 0551.PDF
ftmeapiYits Kaman says that it has customers competing for every S3.5 million K-MAX it builds, there is no doubt that the easy availability of military-sur plus Bell UH-ls has forced a rethink of its pro duction plans. Now that ex-US Army Bell AH-1 attack helicopters are being modified for heli- logging and fire-fighting, the external-lift mar ket is likely to continue to be dominated by surplus aircraft. The propensity of operators to buy used heli copters is symptomatic of the industry's obses sion with cost. Manufacturers offering new technology at higher cost have struggled to sell their aircraft. Sales of MDHS' pioneering tail- rotorless MD 520N have been slow, although, significantly, several police forces have elected, despite limited budgets, to re-equip with the helicopter because of its quietness. BREAKTHROUGH PRODUCT Deliveries of the tail-rotorless MD Explorer boosted MDHS's fortunes in 1995. The compa ny delivered 39 civil helicopters, up from 35 in 1994, including 12 Explorers, and is optimistic of delivering 60 in 1996, equally divided between the Explorer light twin and MD 500/600 light singles. The tail-rotorless MD 600N, a stretched 520N, promises to be a break- through product for MDHS, which has firm orders for 22 aircraft. Certification and first deliveries are planned by the end of 1996. The 600N takes MDHS into a new market, competing head on with the Agusta Al 19 Koala and Bell 407. Agusta launched the Koala on to the US market at Heli Expo '96 with an order for six from aeromedical operator Omniflight Helicopters, part of a larger, $30 million, deal including three A109K2 and three A109 Power twins. The Koala is a single-engined derivative The Bell 412 (in the hover) helps complete the manufacturers range of the A109, powered by a 745kW (l,000shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-37. At 2,720kg gross weight, the Al 19 sits at the top of the tur bine-single market. Bell's 407 is a classic example of cost con sciousness at work. The 407 is a substantially upgraded 206L-4 LongRanger, with four-blade rotor, uprated engine and wider cabin, yet the acquisition and operating costs are virtually unchanged. Deliveries began at Heli-Expo '96, and Joiner says that Bell has a backlog of more than 160 full-deposit orders — suggesting that the company has, indeed, successfully tapped the long-anticipated 206-replacement market by offering more performance at the same price. The company now wants to repeat that feat in the light-twin market, and issued a challenge at Heli-Expo '96, to Agusta, Eurocopter and MDHS, by launching the Model 427, priced at just under $1.9 million. Bell says the 2,720kg 427 will compete direcdy with the $2.35 million EC 135 and $3.6 million Explorer. "Payload will be the same as the Explorer's, and more than the EC 135's," the company says. The aircraft is a stretched 407, with a bigger rotor, new transmis sion and two engines: "We wanted to keep it under $2 million," says Bell. South Korea's Samsung Aerospace will meet some of the under-$100 million development cost, will manufacture the fuselage and tailboom and will assemble 427s for sale in South Korea and China. Slow sales of the 2 06LT TwinRanger probably influenced Bell's decision to drop plans for a twin-engined 407T, and opt instead for the "substantially redesigned" 427. Just 20 206LTs have been delivered, Joiner admits. Another slow seller, so far, has been the Bell 430 intermediate twin. Certification is imminent and the company has only seven firm orders, but Joiner is confident of selling this year's 18-air- craft production run, and of increasing produc tion in 1997. There will be "no problem" selling the $3.68 million 430 once demonstrators are available, he says. MARKET POSITIONING MDHS is already positioning the Explorer to enable it to compete against the Bell 430, partic ularly in the aeromedical and executive markets, and says that it plans to meet the challenge from the Bell 427 with the $1.25 million MD 600N. Although the Explorer is lighter than the 430, at 2,720kg compared with 4,080kg, weight increas es are in the pipeline and a stretch may be on the horizon. MDHS says that it has firm orders for 66 Explorers. Eurocopter, meanwhile, says that it has firm orders for 12 EC 135 light twins. Certification is scheduled for May, with deliveries beginning in July, but the aircraft is not expected to influence sales significantly until 1997, when Eurocopter is hoping for an upturn in the market. In the longer term, the European manufacturer's hopes are pinned on the EC 120 light turbine single, which is scheduled to enter production in 1998. The EC 120, being developed jointly with companies in China and Singapore, is intended to replace the many Bell 206s and MDHS MD 500s now in service. The EC 120, EC 135, a commercial version of the NH Industries NH 90 tactical helicopter, and the re-engineering of Eurocopter to improve profitability by at least 30% will result in a company which "...will be stronger than ever in 2000", says Chauvallon. Although firmly based on fact, Eurocopter's pessimistic view of the near term is at odds with those of US manufacturers. Schweizer plans to increase production by 40% in 1996, to 70 pis ton and turbine singles. Sikorsky is to increase production of the S-76 medium twin by 30%, to 24 aircraft. Even Robinson expects to improve on its 1995 total of 179 R22 and R44 piston sin gles. Only time will tell who's forecast is right. • Additional reporting by Ramon Lopez and Guy Norris. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 6 - 12 March 1996 35
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