Aviation Week Heli-Expo Show News Briefing - February 24-26, 2008 - (Page 10) New Engine on the Way and a New Fleet Plan From Pratt Canada Enjoying the boom in the business aviation and helicopter markets, Pratt & Whitney Canada has tripled its deliveries of engines over the last four years to more than 3,000 per annum. And it’s not just the Very Light Jets driving production. Helicopter engine deliveries are actually exceeding that ratio, says P&WC evp John Saabas. The PW200 that powers the EC135, AW109, Bell 429 and MD902 has been selling almost as fast as the light twins, and has won 85% of all recent John Saabas. orders on the Eurocopter, the only light twin where the customer has a choice of engines. The ubiquitous PT6 is selling well, too, with two of them in every AW139 and Bell 412, and one in every A119 Koala. But now on the test stand is a new generation engine, the PW210S, which is being readied for certification this year for the Sikorsky S-76D. The engine owes a lot to the PW600 turbofan that powers the very light jets, sharing the design and production philosophies that result in higher durability, lower fuel consumption, less weight, lower maintenance and faster, more efficient production. “We are talking to other manufacturers about helicopters that might require this engine,” says Saabas. Here at Heli-Expo, P&WC (Booth 3431) is rolling out a fleet maintenance plan for turboshaft operators. It can be customized for different fleets to take into account their different missions, including those who log very high cycles—yet still guarantee the cost of maintenance, Saabas says. —John Morris The Bell 429 Appears Here The Bell 429 light twin helicopter is making its world debut here at Heli-Expo, having been seen before only in mockup form. The aircraft on display is one of two prototypes that have racked up around 500 flight test hours toward certification and initial deliveries later this year. The light twin is the only helicopter in its class to boast a medium-helicopter sized cabin, says Bell, which claims to hold more than 250 letters of intent for the aircraft. Although designed initially for the EMS market, the 429’s large cabin is also attracting attention from the oil and gas, corporate, and electronic news gathering markets, Bell says. Bell, a Textron company, is at Booth 4629. URS Will Outfit Your Bird, and Ship It Texas-based United Rotorcraft Solutions is promoting completions, customizing, maintenance and systems integration at Booth 1337, and says that once it’s completed work on a helicopter, it can disassemble the aircraft and ship it anywhere. Recent URS jobs include an EMS completion of a Bell 407 for HALO-Flight of Corpus Christi, which took delivery on December 19. It’s the first of two, with the second aircraft to be delivered in September. Separately, URS replaced an EMS interior of a Bell 412 with a refurbished utility interior and equipment. “The 412 was then disassembled, crated and shrink-wrapped for shipment”—the fifth 412 completed and shipped to Australia in the past ten months for Australia Helicopters and Tempest Aviation. Heli-Mart Acquires Phoenix Heliparts Southern California’s Heli-Mart has acquired a majority interest in Mesa, Ariz.-based Phoenix Heliparts, allowing the firm to offer “a total solution that will fully meet the support needs of MD Helicopter operators worldwide,” Heli-Mart says, talking up a customized, customer-friendly program. “Our entire team has a passion and enduring respect for the MD product line,” said Heli-Mart president Don Nichols. “We believe in the products and want to contribute to their ongoing success.” Heli-Mart is at Booth 1413 here, Phoenix Heliparts is at Booth 1517, and the affiliated California Aero Components is at Booth 1515. Heliproducts Launches Online Store Vancouver-based Heliproducts (Booth 520) has a new online store (at heliproducts.com) offering more than three hundred different maintenance tools and a wide selection of new and used parts, components, and engines. Tools apply to aircraft and engines from Bell, MD Helicopters, Eurocopter, Turbomeca, Rolls-Royce, and Honeywell, and include products ranging from swashplate inspectors and engine stands to dog bone spanners and bungee tools. Bear Paws & Floats from Dart Tennessee’s Dart Helicopter Services is promoting a range of accessories at Booth 2263, and is talking up new approvals of such products as bear paws and emergency floats. Dart reports EASA approval of bear paws for Eurocopter AS350/AS355 and EC130 model aircraft (adding to a long list of qualifications for helicopters built by AgustaWestland, Bell, MD and Robinson), and EASA approval of pop-out/emergency floats by Dart’s Southern California subsidiary Apical Industries for Robinson R44, R44 II helicopters. February 24, 2008 10 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://heliproducts.com http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews
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