Rotor Torque

“deeper Maintenance of the New Aircraft Will Be Contracted to an Australian Aviation Company and Most Likely Undertaken in Townsville,” Nelson Told Diar. Com. “this Decision Secures a Medium Lift Capability for the Adf for Another 25 Years. ”

Lismore Westpac Life Saver Launches Second N2 Dauphin

the Northern Region Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service Officially Launched Its Second as 365n2 Dauphin Helicopter During a Ceremony at Its Lismore, Nsw, Base on November 22.

The Arrival of the Second N2 Dauphin, Vh-lrc, Completes the Service’s 10 Year, $11 Million Helicopter Replacement Program Which Has Seen Its Sa 365c1, Vh‑lsl, Retired for Spares and Its Other 365c1, Vh‑nrl, Now Used as a Backup and Training Machine.

Purchased in March 2007 From Eurocopter Malaysia Vh-lrc Has Recently Completed a Five Month Ems Fit Out by Life Saver’s Engineering Staff at Lismore.

The Modifications Included the Installation of a New Rescue Hoist, a Spectrolab Sx-16 Nitesun, Internal Lighting and Oxygen Systems, Medical Cabinets, Crew Seats, Radio, Phone and Gps Systems.

The Acquisition of the Second N2 Ensures Northern Region Westpac Life Saver Will Be Ready Toproceed Immediately With Plans to Establish a New Helicopter Rescue Base in Coffs Harbour Should It Receive the Go-ahead From the Nsw Department of Health.

Penguin Missiles for Navy’s Seahawks

the Ran Will Arm Its 16 Seahawk Helicopters With the Penguin Anti-ship Missile.

The Missiles Will Be Integrated With the Seahawks Under a New Phase 3e of Project Air 9000, With the Move Outlined in the Recent Defence Annual Report 2006/07. The Seahawk/ Penguin Program Was Put Forward as an Alternative to Retaining the Penguin-armed Seasprite Which is Currently Running Six Years Late.

Despite the Seasprite Being Given a Reprieve in May, It is Not Due to Enter Service Until 2011, So the Option to Arm the Seahawk With Penguin is Being Pursued Regardless.

Us Navy and Greek Seahawks Are Armed With Penguin, and a Limited Integration of the Missile With the Ran’s Similar S-70b-2s is Not Considered to Be a Difficult Proposition.

Australian Helicopters Wins $30m Emq Contract

Australian Helicopters Was Awarded a $30 Million, Five Year Emergency Management Queensland (Emq) Emergency Services Contract in November to Upgrade and Enhance Its Existing Single Engine Rescue Helicopter in the State’s Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Region.

Australian Helicopters Will Use a Recently Acquired Bell 412 Classic Modified for Ems and Sar Operations to Replace the Current Bell 206l Longranger Based on Horn Island, Cape York, to Perform Multi-agency Work Including Search and Rescue and Medical Transfers in Support of Police, Fire and Counter Disaster Services.

The Single Pilot Ifr 412, Vh-emz, Will Be Capable of Carrying a Neo-natal Humidicrib for the Transport of Premature or Sick Babies and Has Been Fitted With a Lifeport Stretcher System Similar to the Rfds’s Beechcraft King Airs, Ensuring Stretcher and Systems Commonality and Improved Patient Comfort When Transferring Between Aircraft.

The Contract Will Require an Additional 12 Permanent Aircrew and Two Engineers Split on Equal Time Tours Working at Horn Island to Crew and Maintain the Helicopter.

Australian Helicopters’s Enhanced Emergency Services Contract Will Commence on January 24.

Black Hawks Deploy for Png Assist

in the Wake of Cyclone Guba Which Caused Severe Flooding to Remote Villages in the Oro (Northern) Province of Papua New Guinea on November 15 the Adf Deployed Three Australian Army S-70a Black Hawks From B Squadron, 5 Aviation Regiment (5 Avn Regt) to Assist With the Delivery of Humanitarian Aid to the Area.

After Receiving a Request on November 21 to Provide Urgent Assistance the Adf Formed Joint Task Force 636, Led by Group Captain Tim Innes, to Provide Assistance to an Estimated 40,000-60,000 Villagersdisplaced by Floods, Which Claimed the Lives of More Than 150 People.

At Press Time the Black Hawks Were Being Tasked to Deliver Rice, Water and Medical Aid to the Remote Communities of Korisata, Kikinonda and Magure, Cut Off by Road and Too Inaccessible for Raaf Caribous.

Operating Out of Girua Airfield 382nd Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron Set Up the Former Ww2 Airfield as a Forward Operating Base for the Black Hawks, Caribous and Other Civilian Helicopters to Distribute Aid Into Remote Villages.

Other Adf Aviation Assets Involved in Operation Png Assist Included an Army 173 Surveillance Squadron Beechcraft King Air 350, Three Raaf 38sqn Caribou, a 36sqn C-17 Globemaster and Two 37sqn C-130j Hercules.

Thales Signs Mrh 90 Avionics Contract

Thales Australia Signed a $100 Million Contract With Local Eurocopter Distributor Australian Aerospace on December 3 to Supply Avionics and Spare Parts for the Adf’s 46 Mrh 90 Helicopters Between 2008 and 2013.

Under the Contract Thales Australia Will Be Responsible for Supplying the Mrh 90’s Avionics, Internal Secure Communications, Identification, Navigation and Tactical Systems and Incorporating the Integrated Topowl Night Vision Helmet Which It Has Fitted to Army’s Tiger Arh.

Army’s Tiger Arh Full Flight & Mission Simulator (Pictured) Was Granted Fsd-1 ‘level 5’ Accreditation on November 26. Refer Text for Details. (Eurocopter) Thales Will Also Deliver an Australian Developed Mrh 90 Ground Mission Management System (Gmms) to Fulfil Army’s Aviation Training and Operational Requirements.

This Recent Contract is in Addition to Work Thales Australia Obtained to Develop a Gmms for the Tiger Arh, Establish an Arh Software Support Facility in Brisbane, and to Undertake Topowl Night Vision Helmet Assembly, Maintenance and Customisation Capability and Avionics Through-life Support Infrastructure Services for the Arh and Mrh 90s.

Iraq Raf Puma Crash Fourth Since April

the Royal Air Force’s Eurocopter Puma Hc. 1 Fleet Suffered Another Fatal Accident on November 20, the Fourth of the Type Since April 2007.

During the Recent Accident Two People Were Killed and Another Two Seriously Injured When the Puma Crashed Near Baghdad, Iraq, While Flying in Support of Coalition Forces.

The Puma Was One of Nine the Raf Had Deployed in the Country.

Since April Another Two Pumas Have Fatally Crashed in Iraq With the Loss of Two Personnel. A Crash Nearcatterick in Yorkshire, Uk, on August 8 During a Training Exercise Claimed the Lives of Another Two.

The Uk’s Ministry of Defence (Mod) in June Signed an Assessment Phase Contract With Eurocopter to Study the Extended Use of Its 35 Puma Utility Helicopters to at Least 2022 by Upgrading Them to Hc. 2 Standard. However, the Recent Spate of Accidents Could Influence the Mod’s Decision on Whether to Retain the Type or Retire the Fleet and Replace It With Extra Eh 101 Merlins.

The Mod Sent Investigators to Iraq to Investigate the Recent Accident and Said That It Was Too Early to Speculate on the Cause of the Accident and if the Four Accidents Are in Anyway Related.

Australian Tiger Arh Sims Accredited

the Australian Army’s Tiger Arh Full Flight & Mission Simulator (Ffms) Located at the Army Aviation Training Centre at Oakey, Queensland, Was Granted Fsd-1 ‘level 5’ Accreditation (Equivalent to Europe’s Level D) on November 26.

It is the First Time a Flight Simulator With Two Coupled Domes Has Attained the Highest Level of Certification Worldwide. The Tiger Ffms Replicates the Pilot and Battle Captain’s Cockpits in Two Separate ‘domes’ Which Can Be Operated Coupled Together Simulating the Same Mission or Independently for Individual Sorties.

“this Accreditation Will Permit the Teaching of the Whole Transition Course Necessary for the Training of the First Squadron of Tiger Pilots Without Limits, Before Initial Operational Capability” Said Joseph Saporito, Outgoing Chief Executive of Australian Aerospace During the Simulator’s Accreditation Ceremony. “the Integrated Eurocopter/australian Aerospace Project Management Team Ensured That the Tiger Test Pilot and Design Office Experts Became Fully Immersed in the Assessment of the Simulator’s Fidelity and Its Comparison With Flight Reality, Thus Helping Towards Accreditation. ” the Tiger Simulator Was Expected to Be Officially Handed Over to Army on December 14.

The Simulator Was Acquired as Part of Project Air 87 Which Saw 22 Tiger Arh Helicopters Ordered. The Project Has Been Delayed by Almost Two Years Through Certification Issues Linked to Delays in the European Programs, Resulting in Progress Payments to Australian Aerospace Being Withheld by the Adf.

Briefs

• the Usaf Has Decided to Perform a Partial Upgrade of Its Fleet of Hh-60 Pave Hawk Combat Search and Rescue (Csar) Helicopters Because of Delays in Finding a Replacement. The Boeing Hh-47 Was Selected in Late 2006 to Replace the Pave Hawk, but This Decision Was Overturned by the Us Government Accountability Office, Resulting in the Program Having to Be Re-opened.

• Eurocopter Appointed Jens Goennemann as Chief Executive Officer of Its Australian Subsidiary, Australian Aerospace, on December 5. Goennemann Replaces Joseph Saporito in the Ceo Position From January.

• Northern Region Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter’s General Manager Perry Wells Will Retire From the Service in December. Wells’s Retirement Brings to a Close a 21 Year Association With the Rescue Helicopter Service. He Was Appointed to the Role of Fund-raising Manager in 1986, and Assumed the Role of General Manager in 1991.

• Agustawestland Has Completed Qualification Flight Testing of Its New Generation Berp Iv Aw101 Main Rotor Blades. The Blades First Flew in September 2006 and Have Recently Completed a 13 Month Flight Test Program During Which the Aw101 Was Flown at Speeds Up to 198kt, to Altitudes of 13,000ft and Flown at Weights Up to 16,500kg – 1900kg Over the Normal Merlin Gross Weight and 900kg Over the Current Aw101 Maximum Gross Weight. The New Blades Will Enter Operational Service in Early 2008 on the Uk’s Royal Air Force Fleet of Aw101 Merlin Mk. 3a Helicopters.