Helicopters – Page 247
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Eurocopter launches effort to expand civil-design limits
Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH EUROCOPTER Deutschland, the Daimler-Benz Aerospace part of the bi-national helicopter group, which includes Aerospatiale of France, is pulling together a four-year research programme aimed at achieving significant operational, environ- mental and safety improvements. The DM120 million ($80 million) civil-helicopter research-and-development programme will ...
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Nothing to be afraid of
US authorities worry about accepting Robinson Helicopter. Australian cowboys show that training is the key to safe use. Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) latest move to beef up flight-training requirements for the Robinson Helicopter R22 and R44 follows a year of ...
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Mustering support
Paul Phelan/CAIRNS On the eve of Australia's 1994 cattle mustering season, 54 helicopter pilots attended a three-day, privately conducted helicopter safety-awareness refresher course. It was one of more than a dozen runs in the past two years, by two highly experienced helicopter pilots, doubling as flight safety ...
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FAA tightens training rules for R22/R44
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Following a rash of fatal accidents, the US Federal Aviation Administration has established new rules governing special training and experience requirements for pilots flying the Robinson R22 and R44 light piston-engined helicopters. The Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) seeks to improve pilot reaction ...
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North Sea safety study speeds equipment change
AUK study of safety and survival in offshore helicopter operations looks certain to lead to an acceleration of basic changes in safety-equipment design. The biggest changes are likely to be in the areas of life-raft carriage, aircraft-flotation devices and lifejacket/immersion-suit design. Moves towards the use of ...
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Bell Taiwan Deal
Bell Helicopter Textron is to set up a helicopter-maintenance plant in Taiwan in collaboration with Air Asia. Source: Flight International
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Eurocopter
Gerard Chauvallon has been named chairman of American Eurocopter, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He replaces Guy Eissautier, who has retired. Chauvallon was most recently vice-chairman of American Eurocopter and chief operating officer of Eurocopter France. Source: Flight International
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Altair makes light work of HUMS
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES ALTAIR, a Massachusetts-based avionics company, has introduced the first health and usage monitoring system for light turbine and piston helicopters. The Altair HUMS, weighing less than 1kg, has already been fitted to Enstrom 480 and Bell 206 helicopters and is scheduled for ...
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Moscow Bound
Schweizer Aircraft has sold two Model 300C piston-powered helicopters to Russian distributor Novecopter. One 300C was delivered to the Moscow based company in August 1993 for use as a demonstrator. The two new 300Cs will be used for light-utility duties. Source: Flight International
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Largest order yet for Explorers
THREE JAPANESE companies have between them ordered 17 McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems (MDHS) Explorer helicopters. Aero Asahi, one of the country's largest helicopter operating companies, is to purchase 15 of the machines. The Aero Asahi order is the largest to date for the recently certificated NOTAR (no-tail-rotor)-equipped helicopter. The operator ...
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Tridair aims for Gemini in-flight engine-start certification
TRIDAIR HELICOPTERS, the California-based developer of the modified twin-engined Bell 206L-1/3/4 (known as the Gemini ST), plans to certificate it for in-flight starting of the second engine in 1996. The modification will allow pilots to take off using one of the helicopter's two engines and then start up ...
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AlliedSignal plans to pick up Lycoming LT101 effort
Guy Norris/LAS VEGAS ALLIEDSIGNAL PLANS to certificate a new LT101 turboshaft power-turbine rotor-retention design this year, as part of an aggressive upgrade plan aimed at continuing the reliability-improvement strategy begun by Textron Lycoming before its take-over. The redesign tackles a long-standing problem of shifting blades in ...
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Heads up on S-76
AlliedSignal is to install Flight Visions' FV-2000 head-up display on its Sikorsky S-76, scheduled for certification in the second quarter of this year. The installation will be performed by Keystone Helicopter. Source: Flight International
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Bell launches Model 407
BELL HELICOPTER Textron has launched its Model 407, with orders for more than 40 of the new light-turbine helicopters. As expected, the single-turbine 407 and twin-turbine 407T are based on the current Model 206, with the four-blade-rotor dynamic system from the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. Launch customer is Niagara Helicopters. ...
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US schools drop R22s...
TWO MAJOR US flight schools have decided to replace their Robinson R22s with Schweizer's new Model 300CB training helicopter, citing as a factor safety concerns with the R22. Schweizer launched the 300CB at Heli-Expo with orders for 23 aircraft, including ten for Concord, California-based Helicopter Adventures. Oakland, California-based ...
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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 ...
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Upgraded A.109 may be on the way
AGUSTA HAS declined to comment on reports that it is developing an upgraded A.109 turbine twin which will be available with three engine options. Industry sources suggest that the Italian company has tested an improved Allison-powered variant and is about to begin flight tests of a Pratt & Whitney Canada ...
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Arizona's Airstar confirms order for first MD 630Ns
AIRSTAR HELICOPTER, a Grand Canyon, Arizona-based tour operator, will be the launch customer for the newly unveiled MD 630N if McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems (MDHS) decides to go ahead (Flight International, 1-7 February). AirStar has placed a $20,000 deposit on each of the first two MD 630Ns, a ...
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Hiller acquires Soloy STC
HILLER AIRCRAFT has acquired the supplemental type certificate (STC) from Soloy to retrofit turbine engines into the Hiller UH-12E and Bell 47. The STC will be a "perfect complement" to Hiller's planned re-introduction of the UH-12E, says Jeffrey Hiller, leader of the investment consortium which bought back the ...