Helicopter manufacturers are projecting increased deliveries this year, based on their order backlogs.
Eurocopter has benefited from a strong US market, says president Patrick Gavin. The company delivered 216 commercial helicopters last year, up from 211 in 1997, and booked orders for 272. These include 32 upgraded versions of the BK117 for the French civil guard. The new -C2 version, with fenestron tail rotor and other improvements, will be launched later this year as the EC145.
Bell Helicopter Textron delivered 205 commercial helicopters last year, down from 248 in 1997, but is off to a strong start this year, says chairman Terry Stinson. The company has already booked an order for 24 Model 206L-4s, with a possible follow-on option for 24 - from the Mexican attorney general - for spraying missions to eradicate marijuana and poppy fields.
Stinson says the Asian economic downturn cost the company some 40 planned orders in 1998, mainly for Model 412s, but that strong US sales "-more than made up" for the loss. The US market has started 1999 strongly, he says, with the previously slow-selling Model 430 sold out into the third quarter.
Both Gavin and Stinson say the offshore support market has been hit by low oil prices. Eurocopter is studying a Super Puma Mk3 to compete with Sikorsky's new S-92, but is waiting for the offshore market to improve before launching development.
Sikorsky says that several expected S-76 orders have been deferred because of the downturn in the offshore market.
Agusta delivered 41 commercial helicopters last year, up from 25 in 1997, and expects an increase this year. The company took orders for 30 A109 Powers in 1998, and holds a backlog of more than 20 orders for its new A119 Koala.
The new MD Helicopters (formerly Boeing) delivered 36 commercial machines last year - including 21 MD 600Ns - and hopes to sell 50 this year. Schweizer Aircraft delivered 41 helicopters in the same period - all but three piston-powered - and plans to deliver 43 this year. Enstrom Helicopter hopes to increase deliveries of turbine-powered 480s to 15 this year, from 11 last year and seven in 1997. It delivered just three piston-powered machines in 1998.
Source: Flight International
