Helicopters – Page 225

  • News

    Aero-Dienst adds to Bell customer base

    1998-05-27T00:00:00Z

    Bell Helicopter Textron has announced the first sale of the Bell Boeing 609 tilt-rotor aircraft in Germany. Nuremberg-based Aero-Dienst plans to use the aircraft for charter services, and to support the German automobile association ADAC, for which Aero-Dienst provides exclusive air ambulance services. Aero-Dienst now operates four Beech King ...

  • News

    Sloane delivers

    1998-05-20T09:57:00Z

    Sloane Helicopters has delivered a Robinson R22 to a private customer, bringing to nine the number of Robinson helicopters delivered by the UK-based distributor this year. Sloane has orders for five R22s and two R44s to date and is due to deliver its first two Agusta A109 Powers by the ...

  • News

    Airbus seeks A3XX commitments

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/TOULOUSE Airbus Industrie says it is to start seeking launch commitments from airlines for the A3XX large aircraft early next year. One of the key potential customers, British Airways, has already indicated a requirement for up to 23 aircraft. Jurgen Thomas, senior vice-president of Airbus Industrie's large ...

  • News

    Dow on Sikorsky

    1998-05-13T09:09:00Z

    Dow-United Technologies Composites Products has received a five year contract worth $100-125 million from Sikorsky to produce the majority of carbonfibre, glassfibre reinforced plastic and Kevlar composite components for its H-60 and H-53 helicopters. Source: Flight International

  • News

    ATR seeks ways to revive Airjet

    1998-05-13T00:00:00Z

    Julian Moxon/PARIS The Aerospatiale/Alenia ATR regional aircraft consortium is "urgently" studyingways of resurrecting the Airjet regional jet programme following the collapse of the Aero International (Regional)partnership with British Aerospace, according to ATR president Patrick Gavin. He says that CASA of Spain remains a potential partner in any programme, ...

  • News

    Light flier

    1998-05-13T00:00:00Z

    Peter Gray/SINGAPORE With so many other light helicopters on the market, it was going to be interesting to evaluate the five-seat EC120B Colibri, the new multipurpose machine from Eurocopter and its Chinese and Singaporean partners. The aim of my evaluation, which follows Flight International's technical description, was to see if ...

  • News

    ESDU fatigue data

    1998-05-06T17:17:00Z

    ESDU has released a data item which describes the standard loading sequence for fatigue assessment of helicopter rotor systems. The Helix is intended for hinged rotor systems, while the Felix is destined for fixed (semi-rigid) systems. Source: Flight International

  • News

    Canada arranges a cheaper EH101 deal

    1998-05-06T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Canada has negotiated a lower price and better offsets for its purchase of 15 EH Industries AW520 Cormorant search and rescue (SAR) helicopters. The final contract is worth C$579 million ($404.8 million), down by over C$13 million from the maximum value announced when the Cormorant ...

  • News

    Japan promotes unmanned helicopters for crop dusting

    1998-04-29T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/GIFU, JAPAN Two Japanese aerospace manufacturers have begun to promote the commercial use of unmanned helicopters for agricultural crop dusting and airborne surveillance missions. Kawada Industries has developed the RoboCopter 300 based on the Schweizer 300CB and had accumulated 40h of flight time by mid-April. The company hopes ...

  • News

    Mitsubishi tackles vibration problem

    1998-04-29T00:00:00Z

    Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is working to reduce vibration levels in its new MH2000 helicopter, as part of several design refinements targeted at securing full Type A airworthiness certification for the civil machine. Company efforts are focused on improving the twin-turboshaft helicopter, including better dynamic system damping and demonstration ...

  • News

    UK apache runs

    1998-04-15T15:11:00Z

    Ground runs of a GKN Westland WAH-64 attack helicopter fitted with the Rolls-Royce Turboméca RTM-322 were carried out for the first time on 6 April. The aircraft is scheduled to fly by mid-year. Source: Flight International

  • News

    Lucas drives on

    1998-04-15T14:23:00Z

    Lucas Aerospace has been selected by Bell Helicopter Textron to supply main input drive-shaft assemblies for upgraded H-1 helicopters. Source: Flight International

  • News

    Turbine Helicopters Accidents list

    1998-04-15T12:37:00Z

    David Learmount/LONDON See also Loss of Control Individual turbine-helicopter accident details have been supplied by Airclaims* from its World Airline Accident Summary (WAAS), which it compiles and publishes on behalf of the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The WAAS also provides analysis by category under aircraft type, event, ...

  • News

    Loss of control

    1998-04-15T00:00:00Z

    Often it is unfair to blame only the pilot for colliding with objects near a helipad. Some sites are unnecessarily cluttered with objects waiting to be hit Helicopters cannot afford malfunctions, because when they happen loss of control is frequently the result David Learmount/london Fixed ...

  • News

    US Coast Guard starts replacement programme

    1998-04-08T16:44:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC The USCoast Guard has launched a programme to replace its fleets of aircraft and surface vessels. A request for proposals for the Integrated Deepwater System programme was released in March, and up to three teams will be awarded concept development contracts in July. The Coast ...

  • News

    Shell shocks British International Helicopters

    1998-04-08T16:33:00Z

    British International Helicopters (BIH) faces an uncertain future after Shell UK Exploration and Production (Shell Expro) awarded a vital £175 million ($289 million) North Sea support contract to rival UK operator Bristow Helicopters. Aberdeen, Scotland-based BIH has held the Shell Expro contract for the past 30 years. It will ...

  • News

    Boeing gives 2000 bug guarantee

    1998-04-08T00:00:00Z

    Ian Sheppard/LONDON Boeing will give written guarantees that its aircraft will behave normally through the transition to the year 2000, despite a decision by aviation insurers to exclude their own liability to the millennium software bug. James Wigfall, Boeing's manager for business relations and support systems, spoke about ...

  • News

    Second Sikorsky Skycrane is converted for use as firefighter

    1998-04-01T00:00:00Z

    Erickson Air-Crane is remanufacturing a second Sikorsky S-64 and offering it to operators as a firefighting "Helitanker". Oregon-based Erickson bought the S-64 Skycrane type certificate from Sikorsky in 1992. The company developed more than 100 modifications for the helicopter before producing its first Air-Crane in July 1997. The zero-time ...

  • News

    Busy Socata is forced to delay Tangara

    1998-04-01T00:00:00Z

    Julian Moxon/PARIS Production of the Socata Tangara light twin is to be delayed by up to a year, as the French manufacturer meets increased demand for subcontracting work and its TBM700 single. French certification of the Textron Lycoming 0-360-A1G6 powered Tangara was obtained in December 1997, with production start-up originally ...

  • News

    Hunting sale

    1998-03-25T09:14:00Z

    Hunting has sold its engine repair business to Canada's CHC helicopter group. The £25 million ($41.6 million) deal comes as the latest in a string of disposals from the UK group, which is winding down its civil aviation division, and follows the recent sale of its aircraft interiors business. The ...