GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
Company optimistic PT6C-67D will be ready for use in UH-1 helicopter by mid-2003
Pratt & Whitney Canada is planning to have the first PT6C-67D engines available for upgrading BellUH-1 Huey helicopters in the second quarter of next year, and expects to have a launch customer by the middle of 2003.
The PT6C-powered UH-1 test aircraft is in its initial certification phase following its first flight at Arlington, Texas-based Global Helicopter Technology in November. P&WC expects engine type certification for the -67D from Transport Canada before June. The powerplant and installation kit will be available for around $750,000.
The PT6C engine, replacing the Honeywell T53-13B, is expected to reduce maintenance costs by 40% and to give around 15% better specific fuel consumption than the current powerplant.
The company is optimistic that there is a growing upgrade market and estimates that as many as 3,500 UH-1s are in service, of which around 750 are about to be retired by the US Army.
The upgrade is mainly aimed at paramilitary operators, including police forces.
Bell and Honeywell are already tapping the same market with the Huey II modernisation kit. This more extensive effort - which includes replacing the entire tail rotor and dynamic system with that of the Bell 212 and upgrading the Honeywell T53 to -703 standard - has already attracted orders from several US government agencies and the Colombian army. The latter has already taken half of the 50 installed Huey II upgrade kits.
Honeywell says the kit, which increases hover in-ground-effect at ISA +25¡C (77¡F) by 27.5%, significantly improves performance for hot-and-high missions. It also more than doubles rotor and dynamic parts overhaul time to over 5,000h.
Honeywell estimates a 35% reduction in direct operating costs and expects to make up to 30 more Huey II kits next year.
Three or four countries, including Thailand, are thought to be considering the upgrade.
Source: Flight International
