All Helicopters articles – Page 235
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Bell and Samsung to launch twin
BELL HELICOPTER Textron and South Korea's Samsung Aerospace are planning joint development of a new light twin-turbine helicopter, tentatively designated the Model 427. Certification is scheduled for late 1998. The 427 is intended to be a rival for the Eurocopter EC 135 and McDonnell Douglas MD Explorer, says Bell chairman ...
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Bell Boeing moves closer to civil tilt-rotor decision
Bell Boeing will make a decision on launching development of a nine-passenger civil tilt-rotor, dubbed the D600, "later this year", says Bell Helicopter Textron president Webb Joiner. Bell and Boeing Helicopters are conducting pre-design studies into the market for a 6,350kg-class tilt-rotor, he says. A cabin mock-up has ...
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PHI wins race to operate Atlanta Olympics service
Karen Walker/ATLANTA PETROLEUM Helicopters (PHI), the world's largest commercial helicopter operator, will provide the short-haul transport service in Atlanta, Georgia, when the city hosts the Olympic Games in the middle of this year. PHI, based in LaFayette, Louisiana, and which has a fleet of 265 ...
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Alpha Beta
Robinson Helicopter's upgraded R22, the Beta II, and its float-equipped counterpart, the Mariner II, have received supplemental US Federal Aviation Administration certification. The two-seat Beta II is powered by the Lycoming O-360 four-cylinder piston engine derated to 95kW (130hp). It provides the light helicopter with 13% more installed power than ...
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Allison certified
The latest version of Allison Engine best-selling Model 250 light turbine engine, the -C47B, has been awarded FAA certification. The 485kW (650shp)-rated C47B is the first version of the family to be certificated with a full-authority digital engine-control and is designed to power the Bell 407. A derivative, the -C47M, ...
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Omniflight order is tonic for Agusta
OMNIFLIGHT Helicopters, a Dallas, Texas-based air- medical operator, has ordered 12 Agusta helicopters, including six single-engined A.119 Koalas, marking the first announced sale of the aircraft. The Omniflight order, valued at around $29 million, is the largest single commercial-helicopter deal secured in the USA by the Italian manufacturer. ...
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Helipro flies shortened S-61
HELIPRO, a Washington-based helicopter repair-and-support company, has flown a shortened version of the Sikorsky S-61, dubbed the "Shortsky". The modification involves the removal of a 1.3m section from the fuselage forward of the engine intakes and aft of the cockpit. The reduced structural weight increases the helicopter's ...
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V-22 undergoes structural load calibration
STRUCTURAL LOAD CALIBRATION of a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft is being performed at Bell Helicopter Textron's Flight Research Center at Arlington Municipal Airport in Texas. Stresses and strains are applied to the structure to simulate in-flight loads, allowing the calibration of various sensors to ensure that tolerances are ...
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AlliedSignal puts investment in LT101 turbine
ALLIEDSIGNAL IS planning a four-year revitalisation programme of the LT101 turbine engine, representing an investment of more than $15 million. The programme concentrates on improving reliability and cutting cost. "We know things haven't been good. We know there are a lot of things we'd like to change, and ...
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Call Red
Air-ambulance work in Europe is in its infancy, but is already establishing its credibility. Tony Booth/LONDON IN 1989, THE UK'S West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) launched a project to provide a five-county area of the central UK with air-ambulance cover (the County Air Ambulance service). The idea began ...
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Tridair granted Gemini in-flight engine-shutdown approval
TRIDAIR HELICOPTERS, the California-based developer of the modified twin-engined Bell 206L LongRanger (or Gemini ST) has received certification for in-flight shutdown of an engine as a normal procedure. The long-awaited clearance allows operators to switch routinely between single- or twin-engined operation depending on circumstances - a cornerstone of ...
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Environment
Winner: PZL-Swidnik Polish Aviation Works Location: Swidnik, Poland Achievement: Taking a lead on safe environmental production in Eastern Europe with the introduction of a new anodising line. At the start of 1995, Polish helicopter maker PXL-Swidnik opened a fully automated line for chromic acid anodising of aluminium ...
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Greenwich will acquire Aviall engine businesses
Graham Warwick/ATLANTA GREENWICH AIR Services plans to emerge as the world's largest engine-maintenance group, having signed a letter of intent to acquire Aviall's airline-engine repair and overhaul business. News of the deal, which is being priced at around $260-280 million, came just days after Aviall put ...
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IPTN renews interest in Bell 430
INDUSTRI PESAWAT Terbang Nusantara (IPTN) is signalling renewed interest in assembling the new Bell 430 helicopter in Indonesia. The Indonesian manufacturer originally signed an agreement with Bell Helicopter Textron in December 1994 to either assemble or re-assemble the 430 for sale to the local civil market. There has ...
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EC120 testing reaches 60h
THE EC120 FIVE-SEAT HELICOPTER has undergone over 60h of testing since its first flight in June 1995 from the Eurocopter France site at Marignane. A second aircraft is scheduled to join the programme by the middle of this year. The aircraft, a joint venture between Eurocopter, Singapore Aerospace and China ...
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Singapore applies to join Asian AE-100 programme
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE SINGAPORE Technologies is negotiating with China to take at least a 10% stake in the proposed new AE-100 passenger-aircraft programme. According to industry sources in Beijing, Singapore Technologies has already signed a memorandum of understanding with Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) to join ...
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IPTN restarts NBell output
INDUSTRI PESAWAT Terbang Nusantara (IPTN) has restarted licence production of the NBell 412 helicopter, after resolving procedural discrepancies highlighted by a recent regulatory audit. Work on the 412 production line resumed in December 1995 after "a refinement of procedures" by Bell and IPTN at the Indonesian company's Bandung ...
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Comanche has Florida debut
SIKORSKY TEST PILOT Rus Stiles and Boeing test pilot Bob Gradle, were at the controls for the maiden flight of the Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche next-generation attack and reconnaissance helicopter. The flight took place on 4 January from Sikorsky's flight test centre in West Palm Beach, Florida. A second prototype - ...
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China and S Korea wrangle over AE-100 assembly
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE CHINA AND SOUTH Korea, have again pushed back their selection of a Western partner, to develop the AE-100 passenger aircraft, until the two countries agree on the location of a final assembly line. Nearly 15 months after the Chinese and South Korean Governments agreed ...
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Indian helicopter operator plans for expansion
PAWAN HANS is planning to acquire ten additional helicopters this year as part of a plan to start operations in the remote north east of India and to extend commercial services in support of tourism. The Indian state-owned helicopter operator has set aside a $31 million investment to ...