Rotor Torque

The growth in sales is expected to be enhanced by an increase in corporate demand due to the effects of worsening airport congestion, the need for updated, more reliable twin-engined emergency and medical service helicopters, and the opening up of Eastern Europe due to political reform.

These same political reforms, however, have cut projected military sales by almost a third to 4,900 helicopters worldwide over the next decade (which will offset the strong recovery in civil sales) and will introduce the strong Eastern European manufacturers as competitors in the world market.

Us Army Launches ‘Kiowa Warrior’ Program

Of possible interest to the Australian military is the recently launched US Army ‘Kiowa Warrior’ program which will see the arming of 243 Bell OH-58D Kiowa scout helicopters with a range of weapons, including Hellfire anti-tank and Stinger air-to-air missiles.

The program is a spin-off of a previous US Army project in which several OH-58Ds were armed for use in the Gulf. Operated from USN warships, these aircraft were successful in engaging Iranian gunboats during the conflict. The Kiowa Warrior program, however, will involve more extensive modifications and improvements aimed at extending the useful life of the OH-58 until the advanced LH scout/light attack helicopter enters service.

Eighty one of the helicopters will be configured with special mission equipment kits enabling them to carry out medical evacuation and troop transport tasks. Bell is the prime contractor and should deliver the first Kiowa Warrior for testing in 1992. At a cost of up to $US2m for each modified Kiowa, the program is a viable alternative to replacement with newer types.

Possible British Involvement in Us Army Lh Program

During March, managers from the McDonnell Douglas and Bell Helicopter Textron ‘Super Team’ met with representatives of 38 British companies and divisions to discuss potential British involvement in the US Army’s LH helicopter program.

The MDC/Bell ‘SuperTeam’ is competing for the LH (nee LHX) contract, which is the largest new helicopter program underway in the world, with an expected 2,096 LH helicopters to be delivered to the US Army. The LH – which will replace Vietnam-era choppers such as the Kiowa, Osage and Iroquois, will be technologically advanced with new weapons and equipment systems, and significantly less expensive to operate than comparable types presently in service. Announcement of the contract award is expected in January 1991.

The British meetings were aimed at identifying promising engineering concepts and manufacturing technologies for use in the development and production of the new helicopter. This is part of the SuperTeam strategy of approaching “companies across the United States and overseas to form the strongest possible multinational industry team. ” A strategy to be borne in mind by Australian industry perhaps.

Us Army Downgrades Its Trainer Contest

Budget cutbacks have forced the US Army to downgrade its single contractor aviator training (SCAT) program to that of one of simple helicopter acquisition.

The Army is expected to issue a formal request for proposals (FRP) this year for 205 new training helicopters to replace its aging Iroquois fleet. The FRP will not now, however, include the supply of simulators, classroom curricula or extensive customer support – this will be called for at a later date.

It is expected that the Army will lease the 205 helicopters for an initial five years at a cost of $US200m, with an option to purchase after this time. Leasing will be considerably cheaper than operating the early build UH-1 Iroquois, which will be phased out over three years.

Contenders for the contract are the Aerospatiale AS350B (with Hughes Training Systems), Enstrom TH-28 (with CAE-Link), Schweitzer 330 (with FlightSafety International) and Bell 206 Pathfinder (offered by lmagineering Systems. ) The Army’s new approach of just ordering the helicopter is, however, expected to break up these teams.

Mbb Presence in Australia

As a reflection of the predicted growth of the helicopter market in the Pacific and Asian markets, the German MBB company has opened a sales office in Sydney and has appointed Des Ross, who previously worked as a consultant to the company, as General Manager.

To be called MBB Pacific Pty Ltd, a director of the German parent company, Kono Von Durckheim, is Managing Director although he will not be a full time resident in the area and will also retain his German position. The company has moved into a suite of offices in William Street, Sydney, which coincidentally were previously occupied by Agusta.

There are currently two MBB BO 105s in Australia, one with Sydney-based Child Flight while the other is currently stored in Perth following sponsorship problems with its Surf Life Saving Association operation.

NSW Police Helicopter Problems Continue

Daily newspaper reports in Sydney, based on leaked documents, indicate the NSW government is expected to reject a proposal by the committee which studied the aircraft requirements of the NSW Police Air Wing that it operate four twin engined helicopters. The report in-dicated it was likely the government will eventually approve only the delivery of one twin engined and three single engine helicopters.

Headed by the former Governor of NSW, Air Marshall Sir James Rowland AC, KBE, DFC, AFC, who is also Chairman of the NSW Air Transport Council, the committee toured the world and visited several police units operating helicopters in an urban environment in the course of its study.

The types of helicopters to be ordered were not mentioned, although the police previously operated a BK117 ordered from Japan until it was lost in Sydney Harbour off Balmoral Beach when a cowl unlocked and damaged a rotor blade.

The Police Air Wing has become a political whipping horse in recent times, with the NSW Police Minister using it as a basis of many of his cost cutting measures. It has also been involved in several potentially serious accidents which luckily saw both helicopters land in water and not in a built up residential area. The unit, which currently operates two Bell Jetrangers from Sydney Airport, was grounded for several weeks on the orders of the minister. It currently has a third Jetranger being rebuilt after it crashed in the sea. It was also reported that the committee recommended that the fixed wing aircraft for the wing should be chartered when required and not purchased.

Fiji Army Helicopter Pilots to Train in Qld

East Coast Helicopters based at Caloundra on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast has a contract to train six members of the Fijian Army to Australian Commercial Helicopter Pilot standard.

The six month course – which has the army members living in private flat accommodation in Caloundra – will enable the pilots to operate the Fiji Government’s sole helicopter, an Aerospatiale Squirrel which was donated by the French government. For the training to be carried out in Australia, approval at high level was required because of a ban imposed by the Australian government on military contact between the two countries following the 1987 military coup in Fiji.

The Commercial pilots will also receive training in Search and Rescue, winching and external load carrying. The Fijian government also intends to order an Aerospatiale Dauphine helicopter which perhaps shows the advantage of government aid in the long term.

East-Coast Helicopters is gaining a good reputation for training helicopter crews from offshore operators with several dozen Japanese pilots receiving endorsement, commercial pilot training or helicopter basic training over recent months.

Watch This Space

There could be interesting developments in helicopter representation in Australia in the future following the proposed merger between Aerospatiale of France and Messerchmitt-BolkowBlohmn of Germany.

The two companies, which are already cooperating on the NATO NH-90 program, expect to form a holding company to be called Eurocopter SA by the end of 1990. Eurocopter will coordinate and control the two companies, each of which will be responsible for its own industrial and commercial activities. Current programs will be completed in the normal fashion while studies and projects for the future will be conducted in the framework of Eurocopter SA. The two partner companies have indicated they will be pleased to see other European industrial companies join the partnership company. Currently Aerospatiale and MBB represent about a third of the open world market, valued at ten billion francs.

Aerospatiale in Australia is soon to complete a $3m facility at Sydney’s Bankstown Airport and MBB has just opened a representative office in Sydney, while both companies are in bitter competition for market share in the local area.

Agusta Rearranges Australian Representation

Italy’s Agusta is rearranging its presence in Australia with Bris- bane’s Helijet no longer representing the company’s A109 twin turbine helicopter and regional manager Luigi Tadia closing the local office and moving to Korea where he will be involved in pro- duction of the company’s SF600 Kangaroo twin engined light turboprop. It is understood it is seeking a new formal association to cover civil sales in the region.

It is also involved in a MOU for the participation of ASTA in a military and civil utility version of the A129 Mangusta attack helicopter.

Currently there are six A109s operating in Australia with two with Helijet, one flown privately in Melbourne, one with the NSW Electricity Commission, one with the NSW Roads and Transport Authority and one with Mount Isa Mines based at Mackay in Queensland. It is also possible that Kerry Packer may purchase at least one to replace one of his two Sikorsky S-76s.

The Milan based manufacturer is to triple annual production of its A109 civil helicopter to meet an increasing order backlog. The Italian company is to build 90 A109s this year compared with 30 in 1988 and in 1989. The production increase is additional to the military variants which will continue at the rate of about 4 units a month.

More than 120 A109s were ordered in 1989 including a record order of 65 civil A109s from its Japanese distributor, Asian Heli-copters, which it hopes to be able to quickly sell in the country’s busy and growing civil market because of shorter delivery schedules than competing models.

New Sydney Airport Heliport

The Sydney Airport Heliport is to be moved to provide additional space in the sometimes crowded general aviation area, and to separate helicopter and fixed wing movements. A new site is being prepared in the south east sector of the airport on the other side of the east-west 07/25 runway.

Construction was to be completed during April but Sydney’s long spell of very wet weather delayed its finalisation. Cost will be $3 00,000. When the site is completed it will be available for operators to complete their terminals and hangars.

Hawker Dehavill and Competes for Uh-1 Work

Hawker de Havilland is competing against Dowty Singapore and the Government owned Singapore Aerospace Industries for a large overhaul contract on Bell UH-1 Iroquois to be awarded by the Sultan of Oman Air Force.

The Arab air force has16 of the helicopters due for major overhaul and will award the contract for the remainder to one of the three competing companies after the work is completed and a judgement made as to its success.

HdH’s example is undergoing its major overhaul at HdH’s Townsville facility following a delayed start because of damage suffered in transit. The big local aerospace company is expanding its activities in offshore airframe maintenance following the slow down in Australian overhaul work. The increased worldwide competition in civil component manufacturing because of the ‘the outbreak of peace’ is also reducing work for previous defence only companies which are now seeking contracts and bidding for work against HdH.

Packer Helipad Battle Continues

The long and expensive court battle over the helipad built on Pittwater underneath Barrenjoey Lighthouse and to the west of the long peninsula behind Palm Beach has continued in Sydney.

An appeal lodged by Packer’s company, Australian Consolidated Press Holdings Ltd and Palm Beach based Aquatic Airways against a decision by the Chief Judge of the Land and Environment Court, Justice Cripps, in August 198 8 restraining both companies from using a pontoon for helicopter landings and takeoffs without the council’s consent was heard in April. The pontoon was built in September198 7 following Packer’s purchase of a Sikorsky S-76 as a private helicopter, replacing the Squirrel of Channel 9 which had been included in the sale of the television station to the Bond Corporation.

Warringah Council had claimed the pontoon – which replaced an early old wooden pontoon – was illegal and should be removed because council approval had not been sought for its construction. It was argued for Consolidated Press and Aquatic Airways that Aquatic had a long-standing existing right to fly aircraft from Pittwater, including helicopters, and that approval was not required from the council.

Meanwhile the Maritime Services Board submitted to the court that it alone had power over moorings. The decision was reserved by the Court of Appeal.

MDX Wind Tunnel Tests Completed

Wind tunnel tests to verify the design of the McDonnell Douglas MDX helicopter have been completed after 180 hours of tests in Texas A&M University’s low speed wind tunnel.

Particular emphasis in the test was placed on assessing the stability characteristics of the empennage and the aerodynamic characteristics of the subassembly designs using a one fifth scale ‘force and moment’ model. Phil Alldridge, a senior project test engineer with MOH, said the tests confirmed the current design will achieve performance and handling goals set for the aircraft. The data gathered will be analysed to ensure preliminary findings are correct.

A total of 2 81 orders for the MDX have been taken with its first flight currently scheduled for mid1992 with deliveries about 18 months later, but a study is currently underway to try to bring the dates forward to reduce the waiting time for late signing customers.

Hawker de Havilland will now construct the Notar helicopter’s empennage at its Bankstown plant, which is also to manufacture the tail boom. The Melbourne plant of the company is to assemble the cabin. Design work on both major sections is currently underway at Bankstown using a paperless CAD-CAM system.

An MDX bulkhead for the helicopter’s fuselage was recently produced at MdH Victoria’s plant as part of its paperless manufacturing program which is expected to significantly reduce manufacturing cost.

Design of the part was transferred from the MDX CAD project office at Sydney’s Bankstown Airport via computer tape to the HdH Victoria plant’s CAD computer. Using a CAD program developed by Mike De Wys the flat pattern for the part was generated electronically and fed into HdHV’snumerically controlled router. A form tool on which the part was to be pressed was also completed and an NC machining program developed to machine the part. The flat pattern part was mated with the block in HdHV’s rubber press and the final part was produced – all without the aid of a drawing.