STEWART PENNEY / LONDON
AgustaWestland UK subsidiary Westland Helicopters has flown the first production Super Lynx 300 for the Malaysian navy. The machine is equipped with a glass cockpit and LHTEC T800 engines.
The initial flight was in April and was also the first time a Lynx has been flown with a full glass cockpit. Malaysia has ordered six Super Lynxs for delivery from next year, and Thailand has an order for two - both specifying naval machines - while Oman has ordered 16 multirole battlefield Super Lynxs.
Meanwhile, Westland is planning hot weather trials later this year, which should clear the way for certification of the LHTEC T800 on the Super Lynx in September.
Westland began flying a development Lynx with T800 engines in 2000. The engine, developed by the Honeywell/Rolls-Royce LHTEC venture, will give the Lynx a significantly improved hot-and-high capability over the older Rolls-Royce Gem-powered machines.
Changing to the digitally-controlled T800 has required modifications to the engine mounting structure and load paths as well as improvements to the gearbox oil cooler, says Geoff Byham, Westland Helicopters head of engineering. However, improved electrical generators have been added, and each provides 25kVA compared to the previous unit's 18kW.
The engines and hot-and-high conditions require a higher authority tailrotor to provide the necessary directional control forces. Westland cleared the revised design earlier this year, says Byham.
Source: Flight International