Rotor Torque

The company, Australia’s largest helicopter charter operation with 19 twin and 11 single engine helicopters, employs more than 90 pilots and 50 engineers. A short term offshore contract in southern India was recently completed and the helicopters returned to Australia.

Packer Seeks Rooftop Pad

Kerry Packer, owner of Australian Consolidated Press, is to seek approval to operate his Sikorsky S-76s from the roof of a Sydney office block.

Packer, who also operates a Bell 205, has an office block opposite Sydney’s Hyde Park on the corner of Elizabeth and Park Streets. He is also understood to be evaluating the purchase of an Augusta A109 for operations within the USA.

Aerospatiale New Zealand D Sales

Aerospatiale Helicopters Australia (AHA) has sold four helicopters into New Zealand.

Helicopters New Zealand has ordered four Squirrels, two new and two secondhand. The Bankstown based AHA has also sold two Squirrels to private owners in New Zealand. The sales follow AHA’s taking New Zealand as part of its sales territory.

Rotortech 91

The Helicopter Association of Australia is to hold its Rotortech 91 at the Australian Army air base at Oakey outside Brisbane. To be held in conjunction with the Army Air Corps, the show will feature Australia’s first Helicopter Flying Championship. The flying competition is expected to bring entries from all around Australia, particularly from the military and the organisers hope it will attract large crowds from the public which will absorb the cost of holding the convention and trade show.

Mark your diaries, March 8, 9 and 10 1991.

Russia’s PNG Ambitions

The Russian aerospace industry has embarked on a sales campaign to place its helicopters in Papua New Guinea. Three Kamov Ka-32Cs together with a giant Mi-26 are on a six month lease to Mount Hagen based Heavylift Helicopters.

The helicopters are being used in the gold and oil exploration and exploitation boom in the highlands in which local charter companies are flying enormous hours to meet the stringent demands of the mining companies.

The terms of the lease between the Russians and Heavylift have not been revealed, but it is understood that they are more than generous and in line with the Russian desire to break into the market in the area.

The local operators are closely watching the performance of the four helicopters to see if the support available enables them to meet the stringent ten hours a day contracts with the exploration companies.

If the helicopters are successful, then the long process of certification will begin with a requirement that all the aircraft manuals are first translated into English.

Agustin increasing Civil Helicopter Production

Agusta has increased production of its A109 to further reduce the company’s dependence on military sales.

Faced with the almost certain cancellation of the four nation Tonal attack helicopter project- an improved version of the A129 attack helicopter-and the threat to the Agusta/Westland EH101, Agusta has opted to act before defence cuts seriously affect production. Previously, 90% of Agusta’s sales were to military customers, helicopters such as the A129 selling quite well, with the Italian air force naturally being a valued customer. It is now aimed, however, to achieve a production rate of just 50% military and eventually have the majority of Agusta helicopters sold to non-military customers. Thus the company’s current heavy dependence on military customers will be turned around.

The first phase of the growth in civil sales is the increase in production of the A109, the mainstay of Agusta’s civil line. Production will be increased slightly to five or six per month by the end of this year, and will be accelerated to at least eight aircraft per month in 1991 and 12. 5 aircraft per month in 1992. A new marketing agreement for the helicopter has been signed with Monacair, of Monaco, to push the aircraft to western European customers, while stronger marketing to the very strong Japanese market will also be undertaken. The move should ensure Agusta’s survival as a manufacturer in a market increasingly affected by military cutbacks.

Apacheto Replace Lh?

As US defence cutbacks increasingly pose a threat to some military projects, it seems quite likely that an updated version of the AH-64 Apache could replace the US Light Helicopter (LH) project.

A modified Apache, serving as the LH developmental ‘surrogate’ and known as the Advanced Cockpit Evaluator (ACE), has already demonstrated the feasibility of an AH-64 update program. The ACE is externally similar to the standard Apache, but inside it is described as “a helicopter of the future with capability that radically alters the way aircrews fly it and fight with it. ”

The dramatic improvements in flight handling are made possible by advanced sensors, computers, information displays and an advanced flight control system. These are integrated into no less than five new flight systems: an advanced flight control system which effectively reduces pilot workload, lessening navigation tasks and performing as an automatic pilot when needed; a sidearm controller system to ease pilot control movements; a second generation night vision pilotage system with forward looking infra-red (FUR) imaging and an image intensification monitor; a helmet mounted display system so the pilot has vital information displayed on his visor and is thus able to concentrate on the outside of the cockpit; and a digital map presenting digital terrain data on an advanced, flat panel liquid crystal unit.

Though being used in the LH program, the ACE well shows the potential of an AH-64 avionics update; $US60m has been allocated in the US defence budget to studying such an alternative to the LH.

Meanwhile, the Apache is under consideration by both the UK Army and the Israeli air force. General Electric and Lucas Aerospace have made a very attractive offer to the UK Government, offering to fund its cash starved active control technology helicopter program in exchange for a commitment to buy the EuroApache version of the AH-64. The process of deciding on a new UK anti tank helicopter has been long and drawn out, and it is hoped the GE/Lucas initiative will force a decision. The Army’s preferred option is the Apache, though it faces the possibly more politically attractive Franco/German Tiger as competition.

Defence Checks Improved Uh-1

BH Pacific recently carried out a series of demonstrations of its updated and improved Bell UH-1 project to the Australian Defence Department. The helicopter, with a more powerful Lycoming engine usually fitted to the Bell Cobra and a Bell 212 tail boom and rotor system, is being offered to the army as an upgrade for its current UH-1H Iroquois fleet. A final version of the upgrade will have composite rotor blades. BH Pacific believe the Australian military will order the upgrade – which will be carried out in Australia – as an alternative to a reorder of Sikorsky Black Hawks which is increasingly seen as a remote possibility. Cost per upgrade is less than $1 million

CBD Heliport Developments

Grollo Brothers, a firm of Melbourne builders which operate an

Agusta A109, and the Helicopter Association of Australia have tendered to the NSW State Government for the management of a proposed Central Business District Heliport. To be erected on disused wharfs at Pyrmont, an inner city suburb undergoing redevelopment, the heliport will be on the same site as one operated and then closed several years ago following strong complaints from residents. The winners of the management contract will be required to carry out an environmental impact study on the operation before construction of the heliport starts.