Innovative Supplementary Products for Bell 206 from John Cameron Aviation Excites Industry!

A submerged pump in the auxiliary tank feeds fuel directly into the top of the main existing fuel tank. The pump is interchangeable with existing Bell 206 pumps. The tank is a particularly attractive proposition as it weighs only 22 kg (48 lb) empty, holds 50 US gallons (189 litres), and is aerodynamically designed to streamline the front cross-tube skid assembly. It comes complete with separate fuel gauge, and is very easy to fill. Once original fitting has been carried out, the auxiliary fuel tank can be removed and reinstalled in minutes. Minimum maintenance is required. Each unit is supplied with STC documentation, permitting international usage. John Cameron tells me that during trials in VH-BLI, the tank was structurally tested, successfully, to 4. 7 g’s. What it all means to Bell 206 JetRanger operators is up to 220 nautical miles of additional range, with very little loss of cruising speed, or general performance characteristics. The equipment is fully DofA-approved.

John Cameron Aviation is not only offering an increased range for Bell 206s, the company is also producing a fibreglass-clad cargo pod to fit JetRanger and Bell 206L-1 LongRanger helicopters. The cargo pod has been one of the company’s most successful products. (In addition, a cargo pod designed for the Ecureuil [Squirrel] rangeof helicopters is also being produced. The Ecureuil cargo pod is elongated, making it possible to convey large items such as snow skis and the like. )

Both Bell 206 and Ecureuil cargo pods have been aerodynamically designed and tested, and provide no noticeable drag penalty, or airspeed loss.

The Bell 206 cargo pod installs in minutes, and is easily removed for cargo-hook installation. It’s supplied with all necessary drawings to facilitate installation, and STC (supplementary type certificate) documentation. The cargo pod complies with US FAR 27 (federal aviation regulation).

Another innovative development by John Cameron Aviation is a lightweight ventilated seat back, which is currently being used in Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Canada, the United States, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, and here in Australia. The seat back fits all Bell 206 JetRanger aircraft, and provides improved, cooler back support for pilots, which assists in preventing pilot-fatigue. The seat back is easily installed, and is fully DofA approved. Currently under final development is another interesting product, a low fuel warning system for the Bell 206 JetRanger. Standard Bell 206JetRangers are fitted at time of manufacture with a fuel gauge to alert the pilot of low fuel quantity. The John Cameron device notifies both visually and audibly that 10 US gallons, or another pre-set low level of fuel remains in the tank.

An incident that perhaps could highlight the potential value of the low fuel warning device occurred in Los Angeles in early 1983. An LAPD Bell 206 JetRanger was on police patrol, when it was called to a crime scene to assist with lighting, using the nightsun equipment carried on board the aircraft. Attention was diverted from vital flight monitoring duties, and subsequently, the fuel situation, which was critical, went unnoticed by the crew. It was a costly oversight. The resulting hard landing on a football stadium wrote off the helicopter, and jeopardised personal safety. If the John Cameron low fuel warning device had been available at that time, the pilot would have been warned visually and also audibly with an electronic chime when the fuel had reached a pre-set low level. A US market study conducted by John Cameron Aviation in June 1983 indicated a ready and wide acceptance of this innovative product.

It will be very interesting to sit back and see what imaginative products John Cameron Aviation launches in the future, for they clearly have the ability to assess user needs and come up with practical low-cost designs to suit those needs.