BELL INTEGRATES SERVICE SUBSIDIARIES
Bell Helicopter has brought six wholly owned support and service subsidiaries into the main operation in a bid to provide more comprehensive, lifetime service. Edwards & Associates, Rotor Blades, Acadian Composites, Bell Aerospace Services and US Helicopter will now trade as Bell Helicopter. Bell will continue to offer parts and accessories under the Aeronautical Accessories brand.
DELIVERIES UP AT RAISBECK ENGINEERING
Raisbeck Engineering ended the year with a record December and 26% increase in its fourth quarter sales and deliveries, making 2010 the Seattle-based aerostructure maker's second-best ever, behind only 2008. President Mike McConnell says Raisbeck's fully enclosed main landing gears and dual aft body strakes for Beechcraft King Air 350ERs were sales drivers, particular on surveillance and reconnaissance versions.
PRECISION RELOCATES AVCENTER
Atlanta-based Precision Aviation Group has acquired Dallas-based Federal Aviation Administration repair station Avcenter and relocated the operation to Atlanta.
AJ WALTER MOVES INTO ENGINE LEASING
AJ Walter Aviation is to extend its component management and support services to commercial aeroengines. The company will offer engineering services, engine leasing and trading as well as parts supply. Focusing on General Electric CF6-80, CFM International CFM56-3/5/7, International Aero Engine V2500 and Pratt & Whitney PW4000 series engines, the business is setting up an inventory of powerplants.
EIGHT BID TO ADVISE TURKISH PRIVATISATION
Eight financial companies have submitted bids to the Turkish privatisation administration OIB to prepare Turkish Airlines for another share sale: Goldman Sachs, Credit Agricole, Merrill Lynch, BNP Paribas, UniCredit Bank, HSBC, UBS and CitiGroup. Turkey's government holds just over 49% of the airline. The successful bidder will assist in drawing up a strategy for further privatisation of the carrier.
CURTISS-WRIGHT ACQUIRES PREDATOR SYSTEMS
Curtiss-Wright has acquired Predator Systems for $13.3 million. Predator designs and manufactures motion control components and subsystems for ground defence, ordnance guidance and aerospace applications. Sales in 2010 were around $8 million. The company has 45 employees.
CORIOLIS COMPOSITES WINS CSERIES BUSINESS
Bombardier has awarded Coriolis Composites a contract to supply automated fibre placement robots to manufacture composite parts for the aft fuselage of the CSeries airliner. Coriolis has developed and supplied automated, robotics-based fibre placement systems for original equipment manufacturers in Europe.
ELBIT BUYS BUSINESS IN BRAZIL
Israel's Elbit Systems has acquired two Brazilian defence electronics companies, Ares Aeroespecial e Defesa and Periscopio Equipamentos Optronicos, in transactions worth "tens of millions of Brazilian reals" (10 reals is about $6). Located in the vicinity of Rio de Janeiro, the companies have around 70 employees.
Source: Flight International
