Enstrom Helicopter is the latest manufacturer to announce a performance enhancement for its contender in the hotly contested light single-turbine market. The company has received US certification for a change in operating limitations on the Enstrom 480 series that increases the maximum density altitude for take-off and landing at 1,360kg (3,000lb) gross weight to 10,000ft (3,000m), from 2,100ft.
Last month Bell Helicopter announced a 70kg increase in the Model 206B JetRanger's internal-payload gross weight, while Schweizer Aircraft certificated a 28shp (21kW) increase in 5min take-off power rating for its single-turbine Model 333. As with the Enstrom 480 operating enhancement, these performance improvements are retrofittable to most of the in-service helicopters.
Enstrom, meanwhile, has secured interim financing from its owner and investors to cover deliveries of 480Bs to the Indonesian police, says president Jerry Mullins. The company now plans to deliver 14 helicopters to Indonesia this year, plus two already in-country awaiting hand-over pending resolution of the customer's financing problems.
Source: Flight International
