United Rotorcraft recently delivered the first of two Bell 429s with emergency medical service interiors to the University of North Carolina. The first aircraft (designated “Tar Heel 1”) was delivered last month from the Denver, Colo., headquarters of United Rotorcraft (Booth 8951), which is a subsidiary of the Air Methods group. The second aircraft (“Tar Heel 2”) is due to enter service before the end of March.

The new Bell 429 has a redesigned aluminum floor and other new features, such as additional crew seating. The modification work was covered by a supplemental type certificate.

“Redesigning our floor and addressing product improvement reinforces out commitment to our customers by listening to their needs,” commented Frank Graham, senior director of global sales and marketing. “The Bell 429 continues to be a popular twin platform for the helicopter air medical industry, and we are confident the new products will facilitate international opportunities, as well as augment our domestic business.”

The company specializes in aeromedical products and special modifications for military aircraft.

ITT Enidine (Booth 1203) will feature several rotorcraft-unique products at this year’s Heli-Expo. These include pylon isolation systems, cabin interior vibration isolators, spherical pivot bearings, multi-modulus laminated journal bearings, main engine and APU isolators and elastomeric rod ends.

A number of ITT Enidine products were onboard the new Bell 525 Relentless super-medium twin for its first flight July 1 in Amarillo, Texas. By developing, manufacturing and testing products in-house, the Orchard Park, N.Y., company was able to cut its production time by 60 percent to meet Bell Helicopter’s deadline.

“Daily communication with Bell Helicopter, suppliers and mold houses allowed us to cut production time to meet the tight deadline presented,” said Ryan Evans, aerospace product manager with ITT’s Control Technologies business. “Instead of serving solely as an external vendor, Enidine delivered hands-on service and functioned as an extension of the Bell Helicopter engineering team.”

ITT Aerospace Controls, based in Valencia, Calif., has also worked with the Bell 525 team since the project’s inception on fuel system solutions. The company’s customizable flow control and actuator products are built into the fuel-control systems of all Bell 525 models.

Airbus Helicopters has received EASA certification for the Rig’N Fly GPS-navigation-assisted software program, which aims to make approaches and takeoffs safer and simple at platform-based helipads. Initially available on the H225 heavy twin as an option, it will also be offered on the H175 super-medium twin (late this year) and the in-development H160 medium twin (starting in 2018).

“Rig’N Fly reduces pilot workload,” Airbus Helicopters operational marketing director Régis Magnac told AIN. It allows the rotorcraft’s crew to focus on monitoring flight parameters and the outside environment. Once the approach is loaded, only two pilot inputs are required: the first is to engage the approach mode and the second is to choose to continue the approach once the missed-approach point is reached. If the pilot can see the platform, he chooses to continue the approach. Otherwise, he decides to go around.

Approach flight paths will thus be much more standardized. In the offset-approach mode, the trajectory will be parallel to a direct approach. That makes a go-around safer, as the path ahead will be obstacle-free. Thanks to the better preparation, the frequency of incidents such as wrong-deck landings is expected to be reduced.

Rig’N Fly uses a barometric altimeter, dual radar altimeters, dual GPS and weather radar. The interface centers on an enhanced cursor-control device and a digital map. Thanks to the latter, the flight-plan map can be merged with additional environmental factors, including weather radar and wind data, as well as platform location. It also includes the automatic information system, which alerts the pilot if a ship is in the path of the planned trajectory.

Sikorsky is pressing ahead with testing of the S-97 Raider semi-compound prototype and, as part of the Matrix autonomy demonstration program, two optionally piloted aircraft: a modified S-76 and a modified UH-60A.

Since its first flight in May last year, the S-97 has performed “a number of flights,” including one on February 4. The airframer has been reviewing flight-test data. These help engineers analyze hover and low-speed handling qualities, flight control responsiveness and propeller operational characteristics. Fly-by-wire flight control software has been evaluated, too.

The aircraft continues to perform “consistently with flight characteristics demonstrated in our Systems Integration Lab and flight simulator,” a spokesperson told AIN.

Sikorsky is planning up to 60 hours of flight tests on the aircraft for 2016. It will thus expand the speed and maneuverability envelope. Endurance trials of the transmission system continue on a test bed.

The S-97 combines two rigid coaxial, counter-rotating rotors and a pusher propeller to achieve speeds unattainable with a conventional rotorcraft. The company sees commercial applications, such as search-and-rescue, EMS and VIP transport. However, military applications will likely come first.

Last year, the Sikorsky Autonomy Research Aircraft (SARA) set several milestones, the spokesperson said, including being controlled remotely from a hand-held tablet. It autonomously flew an approach to a moving towed barge. Since 2013, SARA has flown more than 100 hours as part of the Matrix program.

In 2015, Darpa selected Sikorsky for the “aircrew labor in-cockpit automation system” (ALIAS) program. It seeks to design advanced flight control systems that will reduce pilot workload by providing varying levels of autonomy to the aircraft. As part of the ALIAS program, Matrix technology needs to be installed on a current military helicopter, and Sikorsky purchased a UH-60A that will be rebuilt as an optionally piloted demonstration platform.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Ft. Myers, Fla., found something special beneath its Christmas tree. On December 18 last year, Airbus Helicopters delivered a new H125AStar to the agency, increasing its AStar fleet to three rotorcraft. The sheriff’s office is installing a hoist on the new AStar, the better to fulfill its role in law enforcement and searches for lost or missing persons, as well as coastal search and rescue. Hangar One, Carlsbad, Calif., is conducting the full law enforcement completion.

With its single Turbomecca Arriel 2D turboshaft, the H125 (formerly AS350B3e) is popular in the law enforcement duty. Now built at the Airbus factory in Columbus, Miss., more than 225 are in service nationwide. One of Lee County’s two other AStars is a preowned model that recently underwent a 12-year inspection and upgrade at Airbus Helicopters’ MRO facility in Grand Prairie, Texas. “We have a long relationship with Airbus Helicopters, and they have given us the support we need to keep our helicopters in the air,” said Michael Warner, Lee County Sheriff’s Office aviation division commander.

The single-engine H125 has dual hydraulics; dual-channel Fadec engine controls; 30-minute takeoff power; and modern glass-panel avionics.

The W.A.“Dub” Blessing Award for Flight Instructor of the Year is one of nine Salute to Excellence Awards handed out at Heli-Expo each year. The awards recognize those who, through either a single act or a lifetime of service and dedication, exemplify the best of the helicopter industry. This award, sponsored by H. Ross Perot, Jr., and the Perot family, recognizes superlative contributions by a helicopter flight instructor in upholding high standards of excellence.

This year’s winner is João Bosco Ferreira, principal flight instructor and owner of Escola de Aviação (EFAI) in Bairro Campina Verde Contagem, Brazil. Bosco has been a helicopter instructor since his time in the Brazilian air force in the 1970s and 1980s. After attending helicopter flight test pilot school in France in 1981, he returned to Brazil as chief of the flight test Division for the Brazilian air force’s Center of Aeronautical Technology, charged with creating the Brazilian flight test course.

In 1990, Bosco joined Helibras, the Brazilian subsidiary of Aerospatiale Helicopters (now Airbus Helicopters), as technical director. He earned type ratings and instructor certifications in the following helicopter types: AS332, AS365, EC120, EC130, EC135 and BK-117. There, he established the company’s flight test department. His observations of other pilots led him to create a program for emergency procedures testing for experienced pilots.

Bosco has logged 32,500 autorotations to the ground. That translates to approximately 400 flight hours in autorotation (out of a total of more than 12,500 flight hours).

Bosco left Helibras to establish his own flight school, Escola de Aviação (EFAI). There students experience heavy emphasis on emergency procedures training–especially autorotations. To date Bosco has trained nearly 1,000 pilots from Brazil, as well as other South American countries, many of them on multiple helicopter platforms. He is a recognized role model for the Brazilian helicopter community.

The fifth annual Rotors’n Ribs fly-in will take place on July 15 and 16 at the Goshen Municipal Airport in Goshen, Ind. This year’s show will include a Shockwave high-speed jet truck and the original Batcopter and Batmobile, as well as a group of at least 30 helicopter pilots attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the largest helicopter formation flight.

Rotors’n Ribs (Booth 12477) spans the course of two days, the first of which is an invitation-only affair and the second of which is open to the public. The private affair on Friday, July 15 will feature helicopter pilots, aircraft manufacturers, parts and service suppliers as well as other aviation-related vendors for socializing and education. The public can attend the event on Saturday, July 16 to experience helicopter rides, vendor displays and an airshow.

According to organizer Indiana Helicopters, the goal of the event is to increase aviation awareness while inspiring future pilots. Pre-registration is not required for Saturday’s public event.

Twirly Birds announced that the 2016 recipient of the prestigious Les Morris award is Anthony Melvin “Mel” O’Reilly. The award is presented annually by Twirly Birds as a lifetime achievement award to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the helicopter community.  

As the founder of Eagle Copters in Calgary, Canada, O’Reilly was a part of the Royal Canadian Air Force in field helicopter maintenance before working as an engineer and pilot around the world. He will be presented the award by Sergei Sikorsky during the Twirly Birds annual membership meeting here at Heli-Expo 2016 in Louisville today at 5 p.m. at the Marriott Downtown Hotel.

Twirly Birds was started 70 years ago in 1945 as an international body aimed at fostering fellowship among in the helicopter community. General membership qualification requirements include that a prospective member must have flown solo in a helicopter or vertical lift aircraft within the last 20 years.

Bell Helicopter is showcasing its new 525 super-medium twin and 505 light single helicopters this year here at Heli-Expo (Booth 317), flying in flight-test vehicles for these two aircraft to display here at the show for the first time. Bell holds 80 letters of intent (LOIs) for the 525 and 350 for the 505. Today Bell will announce a deal for an LOI for ten 525s from Guangxi Diwang Group of China. Guangxi plans to use them for tourism and search-and-rescue missions.

Two 525 flight-test vehicles have accumulated 140 hours while three 505 test ships have amassed more than 500. Bell also is displaying a full-scale mockup of its third-generation tiltrotor, the V-280 Valor. Other Bell aircraft on display at Heli-Expo this year include the 429, 407GXP, 412EPI and 407GX.

Bell CEO Mitch Snyder characterized the current market as “tough” in the wake of depressed global energy prices and a strong U.S. dollar, noting that Bell made 175 commercial helicopter deliveries last year and that orders were down 50 percent over the last two years. Nevertheless he said Bell had a “great” 2015, launching the more powerful 407GXP large single and logging sales of 200 of them (over 10 years) to helicopter EMS provider Air Methods, and winning a 150-aircraft order with Fuji Industries for the UH-X for the Japan Defense Forces. Snyder said that overall Bell made “great strides” on the commercial side of the business and “big wins” on the military side of the house “that will pay dividends in the future.” These included the UH-X contract as well as 17 V-22 tiltrotors to Japan, 33 H-1s to Pakistan and 44 V-22s for the U.S. Navy to fly carrier onboard delivery missions.

Snyder said he is committed to continuing Bell on a path of innovation that includes delivering the V-280 for half the price of the V-22, building on the fly-by-wire technology in the 525 and adapting that helicopter for a variety of segments, not only oil-and-gas, but also VVIP and search-and-rescue. Snyder called it a “perfect” platform for the latter.

The 525 has achieved a speed of 200 knots during gradual descent in flight test, Snyder said, and the 505 has shown “incredible performance” for an entry-level aircraft. The 505 remains on track for certification and deliveries this year.

Snyder said that the team at Bell has taken on the challenge of safety in the 525 when it comes to single-engine performance, in-flight diagnostics and HUMS and displays, and he added that the company will continue to work across its product line to improve safety and mitigate noise. While he expects R&D spending to remain flat, he noted that Bell currently had three clean-sheet design programs underway and that future spending will be divided between product refreshes and clean-sheet designs with an emphasis on innovation, both short and long-term.

“I’m excited about pushing the technology where we need to be,” he said. “We’re going to lean out our processes and make our products very affordable.”

Bristow Group (Booth 1827) is to lease three AgustaWestland AW139s from Waypoint Leasing in a deal to be announced at the Heli-Expo show this morning. Bristow is already using the medium twins fitted out in crew-change configuration for a long-term offshore support contract in Guyana.

In this instance, Bristow already owns the aircraft and will be selling them to Waypoint and then leasing them back. The operator had leased them from a U.S. bank but needed to revise that arrangement, as the original lessor could not allow it to operate the aircraft outside the U.S. since it was under a U.S.-based tax-driven lease. Bristow now operates a total of five helicopters under lease from Waypoint.

According to Waypoint CEO Ed Washecka, his company, which offers other types of leases too, is well placed to offer the flexibility that operators like Bristow require. He told AIN that lately lease terms have been increasing in duration and now average around five years. “Rents and rates are also going up, meaning higher lease costs, but better terms are still available for the best customers,” he commented.

Waypoint (Booth 10751) has a lease portfolio of more than 120 helicopters, collectively worth in excess of $1.5 billion. The fleet operates in 27 countries for 16 customers, including Bristow, which now will have five of its aircraft. Over the next five years, the leasing group is due to take delivery of more than 125 more aircraft (covered by a mix of firm orders and options) that are valued at around $1.7 billion.

According to Washecka, Waypoint is planning to have relatively modest deliveries of new aircraft over the next 18 to 24 months. There has been some adjustment in response to weakening demand from the offshore energy sector, and more of its leasing activity is now focused on emergency medical and parapublic operations.

In fact, Waypoint is increasing the delivery rate of the 10 Airbus H135s it has on order from three to four during 2016 in response to stronger demand from these others sectors. “We have the flexibility to anticipate slowdowns or changing situations for our customers and can move aircraft deliveries forward or back,” said Washecka. “We can be very creative and we understand what the operators are dealing with [in terms of fluctuating market conditions]. This is my fourth cycle in the oil-and-gas industry. We’ve been there before and understand what it’s like for operators when their customers say they don’t want their aircraft or expect a cut in rates.”

According to Washecka, difficult trading conditions in the offshore sector will not necessarily result in declining values for helicopter assets. “It depends on what assets you have, and there will be stronger demand for newer aircraft,” he told AIN. “There could be declining values for older equipment that has to find a new home. For instance, the value of AS332s [Super Pumas] could now decline and maybe these should have gone earlier but were kept in service when demand was tight.”

During the first quarter of 2016, Waypoint plans to open new regional offices in Australia and South Africa. In addition its Ireland headquarters, it already has offices in London, the U.S, Singapore and Brazil.

The company serves various industries, including the oil-and-gas sector, emergency medical services, search and rescue, firefighting and governmental support. It is backed by a group of some 25 investors and collectively has access to around $550 million in revolving credit.

Marenco Swisshelicopter (Booth 3006) announced several new letters of intent for its SKYe SH09 single-engine model here at Heli-Expo. These recent LOIs boost customer commitments to 84 helicopters.

The latest orders include an LOI for 10 units from Helisul Taxi Aereo of Brazil, one from Horizon Helicopters of Canada and a second LOI from Rotor World of Florida. Helisul operates a fleet of 40 helicopters with fixed bases in the cities of Curitiba, Foz do Iguacu, Florianopolis, and Rio de Janeiro, providing services including aeromedical transport, charter, sightseeing, external load, aerial photography, aerial inspection and fire-fighting.

Horizon Helicopters specializes in environmentally sensitive work, vertical reference and mountain operations and the unique flight conditions of the North. Rotor World plans to position the aircraft for operations in Costa Rica. The company specializes in the sales of new and pre-owned helicopters and jets.

The second flight-test SKYe SH09 prototype, dubbed P2, made its maiden flight February 26 from the company’s headquarters at Mollis Airport in Switzerland.

P2, which is now the main test vehicle, has been fitted with a new rotor head and blades intended to reduce vibration and complexity on the rotor head, while enhancing “tolerance to future upgrades.” The initial flight verified the lower vibration and noise levels, Marenco said.

The first phase of test flights for P2 is now under way, with the initial trials covering hover flights at low altitudes before moving on to hover flights outside ground effect. This will be followed by trials confirming systems behavior and avionics accuracy, flying limited autorotations and initial performance and stability trials. After that, testing will move on to handling, load survey and exploring the helicopter’s full height velocity curves, to confirm the safe combinations of altitude and airspeed during autorotating landings.

Meanwhile, the company is building P3, the first conforming prototype, and expects to set up its production line for the SKYe later this year. EASA certification of the all-composite helicopter, initially planned for the second half of this year, has slipped to next year, with FAA validation to follow in 2018.

The SKYe SH09 has a maximum takeoff weight of 5,842 pounds with seating for up to seven passengers, a maximum speed of 140 knots, a maximum range of 430 nm, and an augmented sling load capability of 3,300 pounds.

An auxiliary fuel tank is now available for the Robinson (Booth 3501) R66 turbine. The 43-gallon tank extends the helicopter’s range by up to 200 nm and mounts on a fiberglass tray that installs in the forward section of the baggage compartment. The tank occupies two-thirds of the compartment, leaving space for up to 100 pounds of cargo. Both the tank and the tray are easily removable.

The 37-pound system includes a crash-resistant fuel bladder that fits inside an aluminum and fiberglass enclosure with an internal fuel pump that pumps fuel to the helicopter’s main tank at a rate of approximately 40 gph. The controls are located in the upper avionics console and feature an on/off switch, a no-flow annunciator light and a fuel quantity button. The system costs $32,000 and will be an available option for R66s ordered after Jan. 15, 2016.

Many helicopter owners and operators now have a quick and easy solution to comply with the FAA’s mandate to equip their aircraft for ADS-B out. L-3 Aviation Products announced yesterday at Heli-Expo 2016 that it has obtained FAA approval for installation of its Lynx line of ADS-B products in 93 helicopter models. The fixed-wing product has been in use for about a year.

The approval for the one-box system, which includes both ADS-B in traffic and weather information and touchscreen control, fits into the same space on the panel as a standard transponder, said Larry Riddle, vice president of marketing and sales for L-3 Aviation Products (Booth 2411). “L-3’s top-of-the-line Lynx NGT-9000 is an all-in-one solution for rotorcraft operators needing to replace their aging transponder while achieving ADS-B compliance.” The company also offers remote-mount versions.

The Lynx touchscreen, which uses resistive technology, can be activated with bare or gloved fingers, even with fairly thick winter gloves. Only two gestures are needed: touch and swipe.

The NGT-9000 lists for $6,800, but here at Heli-Expo L-3 Aviation Products is offering a promotional price of $5,495. The NGT-9000+, which adds active traffic to ADS-B coverage, is being offered for $7,250 during the show (list price $9,320).

The 93 helicopter models currently covered under the Lynx approved model list supplemental type certificate (AMLSTC) include those from AgustaWestland/Finmeccanica, Airbus Helicopters, Bell, Enstrom, MD Helicopters, Robinson and Sikorsky. All Lynx models are approved under the AMLSTC, which includes the NGT-9000 and the remote mount NGT-2500 and -1000. Many of the Lynx models offer the ability to send weather and data to third-party iPad and Android pilot apps via Wi-Fi.

Additional information about Lynx is on L-3’s website, including a free app that simulates the Lynx touchscreen on iOS and Android devices.

Helicopter tug specialist Tiger Tugs is displaying its new Typhoon model tug, here at Heli-Expo (Booth 10554). According to the Oregon-based company, the Typhoon offers true omni-directionality and can drive any angle, rotating 360 degrees around its center. The single-operator unit features full wireless remote control, with all-electric drive motors and an advanced motive system providing smooth operation. Tiger noted the unit can be built in many different size ranges to accommodate virtually any size rotorcraft.

Legacy parts specialist Ontic appointed Transaero its authorized parts distributor for its line of Hamilton Sundstrand jet fuel control products. These items include a variety of hydro-mechanical controls for the T64, T56, T55, JT3D and JT4 engines.

GE Aviation’s T64 turboshaft powers the CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter and the Lycoming T55 is on the CH-47 Chinook. The other engines covered by the new agreement power fixed-wing military aircraft, including the B-52, the E3 Sentry, U-2 and Boeing 707.

Ontic, which is part of the BBA Aviation group (Booth 4356), focuses on “extended life solutions” for aerospace parts that are no longer in production with their OEMs. Its 4,500-plus products are covered by approvals from the FAA, as well as EASA and authorities in China and Singapore.

Transaero will carry significant volumes of Ontic’s inventory. It has nine offices around the world and a 24/7 AOG hotline.

The aviation jobs market is expected to remain strong in 2016, with more than three-quarters of respondents to the latest JSfirm surveys expecting moderate to significant growth. JSfirm, an online aviation job website, on March 1 released the results of its annual hiring trends survey, which involved the participation of 448 aviation companies across various industry sectors. “It’s no surprise to us that aviation professionals are in high demand,” said Jeff Richards, operations manager for JSfirm (Booth 8940). “Regarding the number of job postings, JSfirm.com experienced our best January ever.”

The survey found that nearly 88.76 percent of the respondents hired workers in 2015. While 41.57 percent of the respondents hired a handful or less, 23 companies said they brought on board more than 200 people. The numbers are almost as strong this year, with 84.94 reporting plans to hire in 2016 and 19 companies planning to hire more than 200 employees. Similar to 2015, 42.25 percent of the respondents said they would hire between one and five individuals this year.

More than 250 companies expect to hire in the second quarter, the highest number of any quarter, while another 203 companies anticipated hiring in the first quarter. Maintenance professionals appear to be in the highest demand with 252 companies expecting to hire in this area. Meanwhile, 194 companies indicated plans to hire pilots, the second most frequent response. Flight attendant positions ranked last among the listed aviation roles, with 18 companies indicating plans to hire.

Lack of experience was the most frequently cited challenge in finding qualified aviation talent (28.9 percent of respondents), followed by candidate pay expectations that are too high (18.59 percent).

The respondents represented a cross-section of the industry, with 21.42 percent involved with rotorcraft.

Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics (Booth 1800) recently received AS 9100C and ISO 9001:2008 certification for its quality management system following an assessment by Orion Registrar. The standards were developed specifically to cover quality management systems in the aerospace industry, with requirements that cover areas that affect process and service safety, quality and reliability of products.

“Achieving AS 9100C and ISO 9001:2008 certification provides a highly credible basis for maintaining quality and consistency in the design and manufacturing of our products,” said Mid-Continental quality assurance manager Mark Smith. “The certification is universally recognized in the aerospace industry and demonstrates to all our customers, suppliers and regulatory agencies that we are committed to a comprehensive quality management system. Collectively, we all benefit from improved efficiencies and productivity, elimination of waste and process consistency.”

The Wichita-based company manufactures, overhauls and repairs aircraft instruments, avionics and advanced power solutions for multiple aviation sectors, including helicopters.

Operators of Bell 206B Jet Rangers can now obtain carbon-fiber main rotor blades with an 18,000-hour service life, more than triple the life of current OEM metal blades. Van Horn Aviation (Booth 10733) of Tempe, Ariz., recently received FAA supplemental type certification for its composite VHA 206B blades.

“This STC is the culmination of more than five years of design, prototyping and testing, including extensive flight and fatigue testing,” said VHACEO James Van Horn.

The 206B main rotor blades, which list for $79,500 per blade, require an overhaul every 2,900 hours to maintain their 18,000-hour service life.

VHA uses the same carbon-fiber materials and construction methods for its 206B main rotor blades as it does for its 206B/L tail rotor blades, which have been available since 2009.

Enstrom Helicopter’s new TH180 piston-powered helicopter suffered an incident during flight testing on February 12 at the company’s Menominee, Mich. headquarters. According to Enstrom, the helicopter “experienced an emergency hard-landing in Menominee shortly before noon…There were no injuries or casualties and the pilot walked away from the helicopter. Enstrom personnel were on site shortly after the incident to assist with the clearing of the helicopter to begin an investigation of the incident.”

Before the incident, Enstrom had been flight-testing the TH180 in preparation for certification later this year or early 2017. Enstrom announced the helicopter at Heli-Expo 2014, and since then has taken a number of signed MOUs for the new helicopter, which is designed for the flight training, light commercial and private owner markets.

“We’ve completed the preliminary envelope expansion testing, and are in the process of evaluating the aircraft with different pilots of different skills levels to ensure the TH180 meets the needs of all our customers” said Enstrom test pilot Bill Taylor. “We’ve had it out over 100 knots so far, and everything is performing as expected.”

Enstrom is building a third test helicopter that will be a fully conforming prototype. That aircraft will be added to the flight-test fleet later this year.

The new helicopter is powered by the 210-hp HIO-390 engine from Lycoming and is a scaled-down version of the company’s popular280FX three-seat model. The TH180 adapts the 280FX’s type certificate and rotor system, moves that should simplify the certification process.

Compared with the 280FX, the TH180 has more robust landing gear and weighs 500 pounds less, about 2,250 pounds maximum gross weight. The TH180 features a GS Engineering engine governor and an electric clutch switch, and the governor can be activated or overridden at the pilot’s discretion.

The TH180’s fuel capacity is 40 gallons, and the helicopter’s useful load should be around 700 pounds. Company officials said the TH180 should post direct operating costs of $175 per hour and an hourly fuel burn of less than 12 gph.

Enstrom’s expanded and remodeled production plant in Menominee, Mich., has the capacity to build 100 TH180s per year. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of China’s Chongqing General Aviation Group.

Airbus Helicopters plans to begin offering the new H160 medium twin to prospective customers and possibly signing letters of intent (LOIs) here at the Heli-Expo show. Both development and gearing up for production are taking place at the company’s headquarters in Marignane, France. Entry into service is scheduled for 2018.

Eager to see LOIs signed, H160 program chief Bernard Fujarski said the program is mature enough to enter this new phase. Almost all the milestones set for 2015 were met, although the first flight of the second prototype (PT2) did not happen until January this year, a delay due to paperwork, according to Fujarski. Both the dynamic helicopter zero (DHC0) and the system helicopter zero (SHC0) ground testbeds are said to have helped a lot in achieving program maturity.

As a result, the monthly utilization of the two prototypes has increased by 20 percent compared to Airbus’s previous development program, at a combined 12 to 14 hours. The company expected to reach the 100-hour mark by the start of Heli-Expo. PT1 flights will be suspended in March, as Turbomeca Arrano engines will replace the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210Es initially installed. A third prototype (PT3) is to join the test effort early in 2017.

The H160’s aerodynamic configuration has proved itself, Fujarski said. The first 20 hours were flown without the autopilot, but controlling the aircraft was deemed “easy,” thanks to “natural decoupling between the axes.” The biplane stabilizer is performing as expected, he added. The fenestron shrouded tailrotor is working even better, needing slightly less power than calculated. Maximum speed was 182 knots, well over the Vne, which will be close to 170 knots.

To improve CG management, electrical equipment has been moved from the rear section to the nose. PT3 will be the first one with the new electrical equipment configuration.

Weight is under close monitoring, “especially during these days when we are moving from prototypes to serial production,” Fujarski said. Mtow is to be confirmed by year-end, between 5.5 and 6 metric tons (12,100 to 13,200 pounds).

Construction of the first production H160 will start next year. This year will see the final assembly of the first pre-production example. Inspired by the automotive sector to ensure the design smoothly translates into manufacturing, Airbus Helicopters will use the “ring” technique. The designer of a part, the person responsible for the assembly and a quality control expert will be physically isolated in a circle on the production floor. They will thus be able to correct a problem without being disturbed by anyone else.

The final assembly line (FAL) in Marignane is to be delivered as a turnkey factory by Latécoère and it will feature a moving flow line. “We will push the button at aircraft number 12 or 13,” Fujarski said. The FAL is being designed for a maximum annual production rate of 50.

To reduce the lead time at the FAL level, Airbus has devised a new production scheme. So-called main component assemblies, complete and tested, will be shipped to the FAL. For example, technicians at the company's Donauworth, Germany plant will equip the central and front fuselage sections with harnesses, flight controls, etc. Manufacturing hours will not be drastically reduced but, at around 18 weeks, the final assembly lead time will be halved compared to Dauphin manufacturing, according to Airbus.

EASA certification is pegged for 2018 and FAA validation is expected to happen six months later. Both DHC0 and SHC0 will be used for further substantiation.