Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES
California-based helicopter conversion specialist Tridair Helicopters and Bell Helicopter Textron have settled a dispute over the alleged use of Tridair-developed data for Bell helicopters not covered by the 1993 licence agreement between the two companies.
Under the settlement, the original licence deal will be amended to allow Bell "-to utilise and/or modify Tridair-owned technical data to manufacture helicopters other than the TwinRanger model previously authorised". A pending lawsuit in a Delaware district court is being dropped and Tridair is believed to be in line for an increase in licence payments, although the terms of the deal remain confidential.
Tridair president Doug Daigle says: "We developed a tremendous amount of data during the development of the Gemini-ST supplemental type certificate." The agreement allowed Bell to use this data for its own version of the Gemini-ST, the TwinRanger. The Gemini-ST is a twin engined conversion of the single engined Bell 206L-3 LongRanger and is claimed to be the world's first "single/twin helicopter". Bell's association with the programme began in 1992, when it announced that it would be building a new version, the 206LT, at its Canadian factory.
"The dispute was over Bell's alleged use of technical data for aircraft other than the TwinRanger. Now we have extended the agreement so that this does not restrict them," says Daigle.
In an apparently unrelated move, Tridair has "voluntarily abandoned" plans to install Gemini Systems on the Bell 407. "I think the Bell 427 is going to be a fabulous little twin, so we've decided to drop the 407 plan-We will focus on the Gemini-ST," says Daigle.
Tridair is also pushing ahead with its Gemini-ST fuel enhancement programme for the fuel system of the Bell 206L-1, -3 and -4. It will be modified to reduce empty weight, increase useable fuel and decrease parts count, while increasing fuel quantity by 95litres.
The fuel system design "resembles" that of the 407, "with modifications to incorporate Category A [one engine inoperative] features," says Tridair. Bell has agreed with Tridair to provide the US Federal Aviation Administration access to proprietary design data for the 407, to simplify the certification process. FAA certification is expected early in 1999.
Source: Flight International
