Helikopter - Oppdatering mindre helikoptre - AW&ST

Incremental Change Coming To Light Helicopter Market Guy Norris and Tony Osborne “The only way is up,” appears to be the view of the commercial helicopter industry. After years of stagnating oil prices resulting in declining sales, there is agreement that the market appears to have bottomed out and stabilized. But it has been a tough time, and without the revenues from the more lucrative medium- and heavy-helicopter sales slackened by the decline in energy prices, helicopter manufacturers have been hesitant to make serious investments to modernize their light single- and twin-engine products in particular. So, incremental change has been the name of the game. Bell—which scrapped “helicopter” from its branding in the days leading up to this year’s Heli-Expo—was the only company to reveal a new aircraft at the show, albeit a warmed-over version of its Model 407. The 407GXi  is kitted out with a new avionics suite and an uprated engine. ·         Bell ramping up production of Model 505 Jet Ranger X after first year of deliveries ·         MD Helicopters plans for new models delayed by U.S. Army contracts Meanwhile, Airbus secured 25 orders for a niche version of its top-selling H145 twin-engine helicopter from an emergency medical services (EMS) market it says is both “sizable and untapped.” Surprisingly, the largest order tally was by Swiss newcomer Kopter Group—fresh from its rebranding from Marenco Swisshelicopter in February—secured about 40 orders or letters of intent for its SH09 single-engine light aircraft, due to be certified in the first quarter of 2019. Yet market demand remains strong for light single- and twin-engine helicopters, according to a study by Honeywell published on the eve of the Las Vegas show. It forecasts that the market will need about 4,000 new rotorcraft over the next five years, with the vast majority of that need for single-engine models. Bell says it is preparing to ramp up production of its Model 505 Jet Ranger X after a first year of production that saw 43 aircraft delivered from its Mirabel, Quebec, production line. CEO Mitch Snyder will not confirm the level of conversion from letters of intent to firm orders, but the company has enjoyed significant interest in the aircraft from the Chinese market.

MD’s MD6XX will be a derivative of the MD600N pictured here, but equipped with a conventional tail rotor rather than a NOTAR system. Credit: Bell Helicopter

During Heli-Expo, Bell secured the first order for a Model 505 from the law enforcement market for the Sacramento Police Department, as well as for electronic news gathering. Bell and MD Helicopters are now the only major helicopter OEMs continuing to play in the sub-2 metric ton light-single-engine turbine helicopter category. Airbus left the market in 2017, halting production of the H120 Colibri after sales of the 1.7-metric ton aircraft stagnated, while Leonardo has shelved development of its AW009 turbine light helicopter based on the PZL-Swidnik SW-4. Leonardo Heliopter’s new leadership under Managing Director Gian Piero Cutillo has elected to focus on the 3-9 metric ton market, with the exception of the 2.8 metric ton AW119 Koala. The long-awaited introduction of the Model 505 has not dented the success of Robinson’s R66 turbine, which grabbed much of the Model 206 Jet Ranger’s market when Bell stopped its production in 2010. Of the 305 aircraft produced by California-based Robinson Helicopter Co. in 2017, 77 were R66s versus 63 sold in 2016. Robinson is confident of slightly increased sales in 2018, with deliveries just ahead of where they were this time last year. “People can go out and fly it [the Model 505] . . . and they’re not just hearing rumors, and its actually helped our sales,” says CEO Kurt Robinson. “They don’t have that fear, doubt and uncertainty . . . that is what has been driving us crazy more than anything else.” Robinson is even pondering the installation of a diesel engine in its R44 as an alternative to the existing Lycoming IO-540 six-cylinder piston. The company is working with two potential engine providers, but is still working on overcoming the increased weight and torsional vibrations associated with such an installation. A diesel would give the R44 fuel consumption levels similar to those on the two-seat R22 and improve the aircraft’s high-altitude performance.

The Model 407GXi is the third spiral upgrade of the aircraft announced since 2011. Credit: Bell Helicopter

Schweizer RSG, the company that purchased Sikorsky’s light helicopter line in January, has generated renewed interest in the aircraft. Sikorsky’s unwillingness to invest in the Schweizer line after it purchased the helicopter company in 2004 had a wide impact on the supportability of the fleet over the last five years. A lack of parts and support forced a number of flight-training companies to adopt new training aircraft types, and a cottage industry of buying and selling parts blossomed. Schweizer RSG CEO David Horton says he is hoping to answer the challenges still faced by Schweizer owners. The company hopes to begin parts production and distribution once the FAA has awarded production approvals, expected in early summer. Interest in new-built aircraft is also considerable, however, and the OEM is looking to be able to offer a visual flight rules (VFR) model S-300C for about $400,000 when production of the aircraft restarts in Fort Worth later this year. Horton says the company plans to look at delivering a digital cockpit display for the aircraft as well as update its communication and navigation system. MD Helicopters’ hopes of bringing its new MD6XX single-engine helicopter to market in 2018 have been hindered by a lack of internal resources. MD was bolstered last year by a significant indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity order from the U.S. government for its MD530 family of helicopters, to support a number of foreign military sales deals in Afghanistan, Kenya and Lebanon. Preparation for these orders and certification of a number of adaptations for these aircraft has left the company’s engineers no time for design work on the 6XX, MD owner and CEO Lyn Tilton tells Aviation Week. She is optimistic that the aircraft, a derivative of the company’s MD600N but featuring conventional tail rotor rather than a NOTAR (for “no tail rotor”) anti-torque system, could be bought to the market in 2020. Airbus will further expand its U.S. presence by building a second commercial helicopter in-country. The company will build a niche version of its H145 twin-engine light helicopter after an order for 25 aircraft from specialist EMS operator and completions outfitter Metro Aviation. Metro has identified a number of customers who want the cabin space of Airbus’ H145 helicopter but have no need for the advanced avionics of that model, says Airbus Helicopters President Chris Emerson. Instead, Airbus will build the EC145e, essentially the commercial version of the UH-72 Lakota already built by Airbus Helicopters in Columbus, Mississippi, from kits supplied from Germany. The company also builds H125 Astar/Ecureuil models destined for the U.S. market at that plant. “We are able to cater for a market which does not need the performance of a H145, but they need that cabin space,” says Emerson. Additional orders for this version of the aircraft are likely to follow, particularly from EMS operators in the Sunshine states, where they often only fly VFR missions. The company also certified its new version of the H135 twin-engine light helicopter with the FAA.