Helicopters For Sale

Bell Helicopter is working to overcome two recent test flight incidents before moving the $6.3 billion H-1 upgrade programme into a long-delayed operational test phases. The most serious incident involved a hard landing on a golf course by an AH-1Z Super Cobra, says Kevin Connell, Bell’s H-1 upgrades manager. During a particularly difficult envelope- expansion manoeuvre, the pilot’s control inputs produced an unexpectedly strong response from the flight controls. The motion caused the rotorhead cuff to break, producing vibrations that produced tailboom loading of about 17g, says Connell. Despite the severe pressures, the tailboom structure survived with only a slight material “wrinkle” as damage. The aircraft, however, has been reassigned to ground tests of rocket-gas ingestion, says Connell. A second incident has also slowed the UH-1Y programme. The pilot greatly exceeded the aircraft’s angle of attack limit on a manoeuvre, producing a negative pressure eff

Sikorsky has named suppliers for its 250kt (460km/h) X2 Technology coaxial-rotor helicopter demonstrator as the Bell/Agusta BA609 civil tiltrotor moves closer to achieving its 275kt cruise speed. The first six/nine-seat BA609 reached 125kt on 13 June, when its landing gear was retracted and the proprotor nacelles lowered to 60° for the first time. The nacelles are scheduled to be lowered to 0° (horizontal) later this month, in the first transition from helicopter to aeroplane mode. Honeywell is to supply the fibre-by-wire flight control system for the two-seat X2 demonstrator, which will be built by Sikorsky subsidiary Schweizer Aircraft and is scheduled to fly by the end of next year. The X2 will have counter-rotating four-blade rigid main rotors with low-drag hubs, says senior vice-president Jeff Pino. The tail-mounted six-blade propulsor will be produced by by Aero Composites. Bell Helicopter, meanwhile, will flight-test an advanced helicopter roto

AgustaWestland out of contest to supply coastguard with new large helicopters The Japan Coast Guard is evaluating the Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma and Sikorsky S-92, but has ruled out the AgustaWestland EH101 in a competition for new large helicopters. Industry sources say the coastguard is reviewing data submitted by Eurocopter and Sikorsky and will make a selection within the next two months. A contract for two aircraft to be used for ship interception is expected to be signed late this year. A second contract for at least another four aircraft in search-and-rescue configuration will probably follow a few years later. Sikorsky is looking for its firstS-92 sale in Japan after it failed to convince the Japan Defence Agency (JDA) to consider the S-92 for its AS332 Super Puma VIP helicopter replacement programme. The JDA earlier this year decided to acquire EC225s without evaluating the S-92 or EH101 to ensure it has three new helicopters opera

New Zealand helicopter manufacturer TGR Helicorp will fly a low-observable unmanned combat armed rotorcraft (UCAR) demonstrator within the next four months. The Snark design is expected to demonstrate 24h endurance and a mission radius of nearly 900km (480nm). Two earlier prototypes have already amassed 16h of tethered flights. Unveiling the UCAR project at the Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Unmanned Systems 2005 conference in Paris on 7 June, TGR president Trevor Rogers said the third demonstrator is being built at the company’s Tanakai plant near Auckland and will be test flown at an army training range. The programme has cost TGR “tens of millions of dollars”, said Rogers, making it one of the most expensive non-government aerospace development projects ever undertaken in New Zealand. The Snark will have a maximum take-off weight of 1,130kg (2,500lb) including a weapons load of 580kg and a 440kg maximum fuel load. The Kevlar-reinforced carbonf

First full conversion of the Bell/Agusta Aerospace BA609 between helicopter and aeroplane mode is expected later this month after the civil tiltrotor returned to flight on 3 June. The 1.3h flight was the first since 2003, and followed changes to bring the six- to nine-passenger aircraft up to certification standard. Over a series of flights from Bell Helicopter’s XworX research and development centre in Arlington, Texas, proprotor nacelle angle will be reduced in steps from 90° (vertical) to 0° (horizontal). “We will do level flight, climb, dive, turns and stalls at each nacelle angle,” says Jack Gallagher, Bell/Agusta engineering vice-president. “After 10h we will get to 0° and aeroplane mode.” On the 3 June flight, Aircraft 1 was flown forward, backwards and sideways in hover mode, “demonstrating excellent handling”, says Bell/Agusta. Nacelle angle was varied from 95° to 75°, the aircraft reaching a forward speed of 86kt (159km/h). The BA609 is expected to exceed 2

Kawasaki decides on domestic solution to meet Japanese army requirement Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) is preparing to offer a new utility version of its indigenous OH-1 scout helicopter as a potential replacement for Japan’s Bell/Fuji UH-1Js. Industry sources say KHI has decided to offer an indigenous solution for Japan’s UH-X programme rather than propose licence-producing a Western-developed helicopter. The company has already held talks with Western manufacturers interested in helping it develop a utility helicopter based on the OH-1. Sources say the design will require significant enhancements, including a new cabin, drive train, transmission and avionics, and caution that the project could prove overly ambitious. KHI has partnerships with AgustaWestland and Eurocopter and is now discussing potential co-operation with Sikorsky. The US company traditionally partners Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which is n

Boeing and Sikorsky have decided against bidding for a contract to help South Korea develop a new 6,800kg (15,000lb) utility helicopter, leaving AgustaWestland, Bell Helicopter and Eurocopter to target the Korean Helicopter Programme (KHP). Industry sources say Boeing and Sikorsky do not believe the programme presents a viable business case as it is currently outlined. The firms last year submitted bids for the earlier Korean Multi-role Helicopter (KMH) programme, but their proposals were not shortlisted as they did not comply with the now scrapped requirement. Sources suggest the companies participated last year to appease Seoul, but have now decided not to submit another non-compliant proposal. Bell also is understood to be questioning whether there is a business case to pursue the contract given the current terms and conditions of the programme. The manufacturer has not yet decided whether it will submit a proposal next month, but if it does so, this is likely be

Bell Helicopter’s candidate for the US Army’s 368-aircraft armed reconnaissancehelicopter (ARH) requirement has made its debut flight from the US company’s XworX research centre in Arlington, Texas. The modified Bell 407 demonstrator conducted its first three flights from the facility on 3 June.

Australia has signed an A$1 billion ($760 million) contract for the supply of 12 NH Industries MRH90 helicopters for the Australian Army under its Project Air 9000 Phase 2 additional trooplift project. Eight aircraft will be assembled in Brisbane by EADS subsidiary Australian Aerospace, but the first four will be built in France, with initial deliveries in 2007. All 12 will be delivered by 2009. Meanwhile, Australia's Civil Maritime Surveillance 2004 (CMS04) programme faces a further setback, as the Australian Customs Service now says contracts will not be awarded until September. The service cites "some administrative delay", but says progress with evaluation of the proposals from industry has been satisfactory. Services are currently provided by Surveillance Australia and Reef Helicopters.

An unpowered model of the Mono Tilt Rotor (MTR) heavylift rotorcraft is to be tested, and preliminary design of a scaled demonstrator completed, under the $5 million research contract awarded by the US Army to Baldwin Technology (Flight International, 12-18 April). The MTR combines a coaxial rotor with a folding wing, articulating airframe and cargo container-handling system. The army contract covers the construction and windtunnel testing of a small parametric research model to prove the viability of the complex wing/tail kinematics and aerodynamics. New York-based Baldwin will also complete preliminary design of a 5.5t gross-weight demonstrator capable of carrying a 2t containerised load 1,300km (700nm) with a 200kt (370km/h) cruise speed at 20,000ft (6,100m) altitude. Baldwin's proposed heavylift rotorcraft would have a 59t gross weight and be able to carry a 20t load 1,850km.