Rotortech ‘91 Preview

The failure of the heliport project is a cruel setback for the Helicopter Association of Australia which was preparing to manage the site and whose committee had spent many hours negotiating with the government over the project and planning the installation.

An obsessive campaign against the helicopter industry mounted in recent years by the SPCC has caused the cancellation of plans by the big German manufacturer, MBB, to construct a helicopter assembly plant at Albion Park airfield, near Wollongong, about 60kms south of Sydney. However, despite the problems to the industry caused by the noise constraints the newly progressive Civil Aviation Authority and the busy and efficient Helicopter Association of Australia (HAA) have bought about several important breakthroughs in recent helicopter legislation.

Of prime importance is the ability to operate from rooftop helipads, with commercial and single engine operations approved, although the State Government restrictions on noise still apply and can thus limit roof helipad operations. Currently under negotiation is a pad on the rooftop of the Sydney city office of media mogul Kerry Packer who operates a fleet of two Sikorsky S-76s. Noise test have been carried out on the site which is situated on Sydney’s Park Street opposite Hyde Park.

Incidentally, Packer’s helicopter operations came unstuck with the local council at Palm Beach, a glitzy area to the north of Sydney where its moneyed residents weekend in summer. An upgrade on his floating helipad on nearby Pittwater to enable it to handle the S-76 – he previously used the Channel 9 Squirrel but lost control of the smaller helicopter following the sale of the network to Alan Bond- met resistance as it was considered to be an unauthorised alteration.

The council fought a long but eventually successful court battle against the alterations. The State Government controlled and conservative Maritime Services Board claimed it had given approval for the alterations and it was the only body with rights to give authority for construction on the waterways. Such are the current vagueries of the legislation with regards to helicopter operations in a big city.

Other recent pluses for helicopter operations from the CAA include the removal of requirements for forced landing areas on approach and departure paths and the deletion of the prohibition on downwind operations at city helipads. The ban on turn at certain stages of the approach or departure path was also lifted in a review of helicopter standards carried out by the CAA.

Despite the practical limitations on city operations caused by the state and local government authorities there are positive developments. Sydney Airport’s long awaited heliport is now expected to be open during May with several hangar , s and terminals being builtby operators. The State Government Electricity.

Another positive event being planned ts a Regular Public Transport Bell JetRanger or LongRanger service, up to six times daily, between Sydney Airport’s Ansett Terminal and the suburb of Parramatta, close to the geographic heart of traffic snarled sprawling Sydney. The long negotiations for the flight between

Sydney Helicopter Service, which will operate the flights, and numerous authorities are nearing conclusion with the first

scheduled flights starting in May or June.

Although the possible expansion of city operations are being crippled by the noise limitations there is growth in other areas of the industry. Helicopter training schools are still attracting much of it from overseas, particularly Japan and equipment in some schools may need upgrading.

Hawker de Havilland, the large Bankstown based aerospace manufacturer, may expand its extensive interests into helicopter training following esquires from Japan, a source of much revenue for several of the local helicopter schools. If Hawkers decide to go-ahead, and a decision by its board is expected half of this year, it may set up its own school or buy an existing big operator. The company has experience in training with its Aviation College at Adelaide’s Parafield Airport and this could be the home of its own school if it decides to start one from scratch.

An added incentive for Hawker de Havilland to enter the helicopter training market contracting its basicrotory wing training to c1v1han organisations. With Hawker’s long experience in dealing with military contracts and its close contacts in Canberra it would stand a good chance of winning any tender issued for the work if the Department of Defence finally decides to proceed with the scheme.

The offshore operators are also expecting growth as new oil and gas fields come on line during the next two or three years, particularly in the Timor Sea. Undoubted leader the Australian helicopter market is Adelaide based Lloyd Helicopters which also has several EMS and DoD SAR contracts.

Bankstown based Aerospatiale Helicopters Australia is optimistic the long range requirements needed to serve the new Timor Sea offshore oilfields will provide openings for its Super Puma helicopters, currently the longest legged twin engined chopper in production. Currently workers are transported to the rigs on a mix of a Boeing Canada Dash 8 to Troughton Island where they transfer to helicopters for the last leg.

Despite the current economic recession and high interest rates the industry is still obtaining new machines. The NSW Police Department recently put a second hand Twin Squirrel obtained from Aerospatiale Helicopters Australia into service joining three Bell JetRangers on work throughout NSW. Also soon to enter service are two Aerospatiale Oquphines with the Surf Life Saving Association which will replace the Sydney based Twin Squirrel and the Lismore, on the NSW north coast, based Bell JetRanger used for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) work.

Also scheduled to enter service early this year was a new BK117 for Sydney based Child Flight which will be used for transport of premature babies from second hospital into main centres where specialist care and fac1ht1es are available.

The 80105 originally used by the service will be returned to MBB, from which it was leased, and used in Norway.

The Kings Cross, Sydney based distributor of the types, MBB Pacific, is hopeful the delivery of the fully IFR light twin into the Child Flight operation will open doors to on her markets In the growing EMS industry. The BK and MBB helicopters have done very well in the US. A’s competitive EMS market.

An indication of the European industry’s faith in the future of the local helicopter industry is the investment of about A$20 million by Aerospatiale in a new facility, equipment and spares at

Improved Particle Separator for Bell 206

A new particle separator for Bell 206s has been developed by Australian company Aviation Turbine Overhaul Pty Ltd (ATO).

The separator was developed to allow sister company Jayrow Helicopters to operate its fleet of seven Bell Jetranger Ills to sites in the Australian desert. Jayrow Is a helicopter charter operator specialising in the support of onshore mineral exploration companies. This involves frequent low level flying over the Australian deserts, and since the introduction of its Allison 250 powered Jetrangers in the late 1970s the company has waged a constant war against outback dust. Despite constant checks and maintenance, the Allison 250 series II compressor units were prone to damage and mechanical failure.

ATO therefore designed its Mark I Particle Separator, which consists of two separate banks of cyclonic separators and have been proven to work very well in the dusty outback conditions, damage to the compressor unit being minimal. However, assessment of the unit found several minor operational deficiencies which have now been improved in the Mk II. The Mk II is lighter, creates less drag, is more accessible for maintenance and is more efficient. It has been successfully tested in both hot and known icing conditions, and orders for the new unit are now being taken. The Australian Army has reportedly expressed interest in installing the Mk II in its Kiowas.

Bankstown Airport and the location of a new MBB 80105 helicopter in Sydney for MBB Pacific.

Meanwhile the Italian helicopter manufacturer Agusta Is .

seeking civil representation in Australia following the disaging of its previous association with Brisbane based HeltJet. The company’s corporate A109 twin has proved very popular In Australia and more sales are possible.

Construction delays have put back the opening of the big Aerospatiale Bankstown Airport facility from the end of last year to this June. Included are a composite rotor repair shop, a large spares holding and distribution centre and areas to prepare green fixed and rotory wing aircraft for delivery.

MBB Pacific’s new B0105 is also slated to depart on a demonstration tour of Papua New Guinea soon after its arrival showing the advantages of its hot and high performance to the busy and growing local helicopter industry which needs high choppers for the oil, gas and gold mining developments highlands.

Papua New Guinea Hevi-Lift has recently entered into a deal with the Russian industry which has seen It operate, and with reportedly much success, Ka32 helicopters and a giant Mi-26. The helicopters were originally to be displayed at the forthcoming Rotortech 91 at Oakey Army Air Base in south eastern Queensland but are now understood to have been withdrawn from the convention.

Meanwhile, a change in representation has seen Masling Helicopters, the extremely successful Cootamundra-based sales and service company lose its McDonnell Douglas MD500 representation and distribution rights as at the end of the last year. The company had sold 11 MD500s, mostly into PNG but will still maintain its Schweizer agency. MOH sales are now to be handled directly by the factory with its Canberra based office looking after the area in the civil, and government markets.

Bell Helicopters, represented in Australia by the old Brisbane Airport based BH Pacific has placed severa! new JetRangers with delivery due this year including an amazing sale, In recession bound Australia, for one to be based on a luxury yacht currently being built. The company is also busy in rebuilding secondhand machines for sale.

Statistics recently released for helicopter operations by Department of Transport and Communications, albeit late but the best available, show that the 525 single engined and 61 twin engined helicopters in Australia flew respectively 100,100 hours and 16,800 hours during the six months from 1 July 1989 to 31 December 1989. The singles carried out a total of 174,500 landings and the twins 39,200. The busiest type in total hours flown during the six months, were Australia’s then civil population of

Rotortech for Oakey

The inaugural Australian Helicopter Flying Championships will be a highlight of the forthcoming Rotortech 91 to be held at the Army’s Air Base at Oakey in south eastern Queensland from Friday 8 March to Sunday 10 March.

Organised by the Helicopter Association of Australia (HAA) the competition is expected to attract helicopter pilots from Australia, the Pacific region and Asia. A strong round up of entries is expected from the Australian military. The use of the Army Air Base at Oakey as the site of this month’s Helicopter Association of Australia Rotortech Convention and Exhibition will greatly increase its public appeal with the incorporation of a helicopter flying competition on the Sunday public day.

The convention also offers a good selection of industry speakers on the Friday and Saturday. Visitors to the competition on Sunday, which will also be open to the public, will be able to view the competition and watch Army flying operations being scheduled as part of its training program. Prime Minister Bob Hawke has been asked to open the show at 9am on Friday 8 March. The keynote address will be given by Frank Jensen, President of the American Helicopter Association International who will talk on Practical Applications of New Rotorcraft Technology.

In order to make the convention more useful to trade visitors there will be maintenance forums on Robinson and Bell helicopters held concurrently with the convention. Holding the convention in the middle of an economic slowdown has cut down the trade attendance with Aerospatiale and McDonnell Douglas Helicopters at least not taking space in the exhibition area. Some companies have complained the Oakey site is too remote to ensure a good attendance of trade visitors to the exhibition. About 25 companies had taken space at the time of writing.

Papers to be presented at the convention include Notar, by MD Helicopters’ Terry Wesley-Smith, the Bell 680 Rotor System by a representative of Bell Textron, an overview of helicopter safety by Dr Robert Lee of BASI, Aviation safety Standards by Ron Cooper of the CAA andAircraft Financing by Richard Townsend of Metway Finance. Other papers will present information on Helicopter Emergency Medical Services, legal aspects of helicopter charter, pilot training for helicopters and Army Aviation. 210 Bells, of various unspecified models, which flew 41,700 hours with 66,600 landings. The 155 Australian registered Robinson R22s were the next busiest with 32,600 hours flown and, in a reflection of their leading role with helicopter flying schools, flew 4,700 hours on training work. The Robinson also operated a total of 21,60 hours on aerial work which is likely to relate to the large number involved In cattle mustering. The light helicopter made a total of 64,600 landings. Australia’s aerospace industry is gearing up to take advantage of a predicted boom in the world’s requirements for helicopters in the late 1990s. Hawker de Havilland has started to deliver metal and composite parts for the MDX light twin which has almost 400 orders before first flight. HDH is responsible for the design of the cabin, which is being carried out at its Bankstown headquarters. Assembly of the components will be completed at its former CAC plant in Melbourne.

Also in Melbourne, Aerospace Technologies of Australia (ASTA) is soon to make a decision on whether to proceed with an involvement in the Agusa A139, the utility version of the A129 Mangusta armed two seat battlefield helicopter. It has had a team in Italy reviewing possible world demand for the class of helicopter.

The machine, in the five tonne category, has the transmission and dynamic components of the A129 with the cabin larger than the famous Bell UH-1 Iroquois. Originally FAMA of Argentina was to be involved in the project but this association is now in doubt.

The Gulf War has had a side benefit to the local helicopter industry with Melbourne based Jayrow involved in negotiations with the US military over its patented device to keep desert dust out of sensitive turbine engines. Hawker de Havilland has also been talking to the US military about its unique technique to increase the life of helicopter engines required to work in the dusty desert environment.

The quickly developing Gulf War also saw the RAN’s first operations with early delivered Sikorsky Seahawk helicopters (refer full story elsewhere in this edition). The last of the 16 on order for theNavy is scheduled for handover out of the ASTA plant at Avalon outside Melbourne this year. The delivery, currently the last planned for the helicopter in Australia, will leave a serious gap in the work available for ASTA’s experienced helicopter assembly staff and emphasises one of the ever lasting problems of the local aerospace industry of stop-start production and workloads. Hawker de Havilland was also scheduled to hand over its last Black Hawk of the 39 planned for delivery to the Australian Army early this year.

Military helicopter operations in Australia have recently seen big changes in recent months. The Squirrel squadron at Canberra, once a RAAF unit, is now administered by the Army to provide basic helicopter training for both the Army and Navy. There are long range plans to eventually transfer the unit to Oakey, in south east Queensland where other Army helicopter training is carried out.

The former RAAF Iroquois are now fully integrated into the Army with six being dedicated as ‘Bushranger’ Gunships in conjunction with the operational 5 Aviation Regiment Black Hawk unit at Townsville. The helicopters have more than paid for themselves in recent times with the work carried out in the disastrous flooding throughout northern Australia. Six of the Black Hawks will be based at Oakey for training.

Of the former RAAF Iroquois fleet four have gone to PNG for its Defence Forces, where they still provide controversy over allegations of being fitted with fixed weapons, and another six are to replace Kiowas in theArmy for a Command and Liaison role.

some concern about the absence of a dunking sonor capability in the fleet assets.

There is still, at the time of writing, a strong possibility of at least some of the former RAAF Chinooks, which went into storage at Amberley after their retirement from the RAAF, seeing service with the Army. They are required to carry weapons too heavy for the Black Hawk and to assist in the deployment of mobile radar stations. It is believed that four in their upgraded CH-47D standard, will be eventually dedicated for Army use according to current Canberra intel.

The Navy is also seeing big changes in its helicopter operations. The Sea Kings are to be dedicated to the utility role with their anti submarine equipment being put into storage and the stripped airframes basically replacing the Wessex in a work horse role. The decision, for funding reasons, not to take over some of the former RAAF UH-1 H Iroquois hastened the long gestating decision on the role of the Sea Kings although their is some concern about the absence of a dunking sonor capability in the fleet assets

A decision will also have to be made as to whether additional Seahawks should be ordered to serve on the new ANZAC class ships or if a less expensive helicopter should be ordered. There is some feeling that the Seahawk should remain with a bolt-in and easily removed weapons system developed which would be fitted according to the role currently needed for the helicopter the argument is that the added expense of the additional Seahawks would be less than the cost of introducing a new type with the associated cost of training and additional spares holdings.

This special Rotortech industry analysis replaces this issue’s usual Rotor Torque column. Rotor Torque returns with the April edition of Australian Aviation, on sale March 21.

Mini Newsdesk. . .

Iai Wins 747 Freighter Contract:

Israel Aircraft Industries (AI) has been awarded a contract to convert ten 747-100s to a freighter configuration for Electra Aviation.

As deliveries of the 747-400 continue at a steady rate, older model 747s are increasingly finding their way onto the market, very often now being sold to freight operators. The aircraft are both reliable and, as has long been shown, make excellent freighters with long range and a high internal capacity. Their importance is underlined by the fact that the international air freight industry is expected to expand by about 6. 5% per annum over the next decade, and Electra Aviation predict that some 150-200 additional freighters, particularly in the 50-plus tonnes category, will be required.

The ten Electra Aviation 747-100s were acquired from Air France under a combination of purchase/leaseback and forward purchase arrangements for conversion to freighter configuration. The contract with IAI involves not only freighter conversion work which includes installing a large side cargo door, a mechanical handling system, electrical loading system and reinforcing floor beams, but also the completion of full Section 41 work and D checks as required. The aircraft will be modified between 1991 and 1996 at a rate of two per year, the first conversion being delivered in mid 1992.

ASTA Hopes for Further Jindivik Success:

The Jindivik remotely piloted drone is to go back into production at AeroSpace Technologies of Australia (ASTA), with the first new unit scheduled to fly in early 1994. The Jindivik 48 is being targeted at replacement requirements of the RAN and the UK Ministry of Defence, both long time Jindivik users. Sales to these two potential customers could total about 70, though sales to other nations are also expected. ASTA will be capable of producing about 40 units per year over a five year program so could accommodate further sales to target customers, such as the US Navy and air arms in the Middle East and Asia. Besides being utilised in the main military roles for which it was originally designed, ASTA see the Jindivik being used in the surveillance role to combat drug smuggling and illegal immigration along remote borders or coastlines.

The Jindivik was designed in 1949, specifically as a target drone for use in the British guided missile program. It first flew in 1952

and has since achieved more than 500 sales to several customers, there having been about 5,000 Jindivik flights since the type entered service. The lighter weight Jindivik 4B will feature redesigned wingtip pods, single slotted flaps, a digital autopilot, GPS navigation computer, PCM telemetry and uplink, an attitude gyro, four stores stations each capable of carrying 113. 4kg and a 360kg payload increase. With its proven sales record and the potential it holds for series pro-

Usaf Considers Eagle Retrofit:

The United States Air Force is considering a major retrofit of its early model F-15C/D Eagles, replacing the aging Hughes APG-63 radar with the F-15E’s APG-70.

The proposed retrofit program would solve the worsening maintenance problems of APG-63 equipped F-15C/Ds, of which there are some 450 aircraft forming the backbone of the USAF’s air superiority fleet. The aircraft would receive either standard APG-70 radar or an advanced version to be developed. The current APG-63, although only introduced in 1980, is considered obsolescent, with spare parts no longer produced unless a special quantity order is placed. The USAF still holds at least four years’ supply of spares, so the situation is not yet considered urgent.

A retrofit program would, however, provide extra performance for the F-15C/D, which in all probability will still be flying as a front line aircraft beyond 2010. The cheapest retrofit alternative is to provide the aircraft with the existing APG-70 radar hardware, though Hughes are examining an upgrade of the unit to APG-70 Plus standard, using technology developed for the YF-22 ATF prototype.