Rotor Torque

The X2 is the Product of Sikorsky’s Four Year Selffunded Research Program to Stimulate Helicopter Technology Development.

The X2 Prototype, Registered N41ax, Features a Single Rolls-royce T800 Engine (From the Cancelled Rah-66 Comanche), the Active Vibration Control Systems From the S-92, Composite Structures From the S-75 All Composite Airframe Program (Acap), and an Advanced Flight Control System Developed From Sikorsky’s Cypher Vtol Uav.

With the X2 Sikorsky Aims to Demonstrate a Helicopter Capable of High Speed Flight With a Cruise Speed of 250kt While Retaining Desirable Helicopter Attributes Such as Low Speed Handling, Hovering, and Autorotation.

Initial Test Flights Will Be Conducted in Horseheads to Explore the X2’s Speed Envelope From 0-40kt. Testing Will Then Transfer to Sikorsky’s West Palm Beach, Florida, Facilities Where the Speed Envelope Will Be Expanded in Stages From 40-120kt, 120- 180kt and 180kt to Vne.

Through Life Support Contract for Army’s Tigers

the Previously Troubled Army Tiger Arh Program Continues to Gain Momentum Following the Signing on August 26 of a Through Life Support (Tls) Contract Between Main Contractors Australian Aerospace and Thales Australia for the 22 Helicopters.

The Contract Will See Thales Provide Australian Aerospace With Technical, Logistics and Supply Support Services for a Range of Thales Equipment Installed on the Arhs, Including Avionics Andcommunications Equipment, Electrical Components, Rocket Subsystems, and the Integrated Topowl Helmet-mounted Sight and Display System, and Will See Thales Australia Act as a Local Single Point of Contact for All Global Thales Suppliers.

The 11 Year Tls Contract May Be Extended Subject to the Placement of Orders for Repairs and the Provision of Spare Parts. The Tiger Arh Fleet is Expected to Undergo Operational Evaluation Early Next Year and Achieve Ioc (Initial Operating Capability) in Late 2009.

Bell Expands to Meet Demand

Bell Helicopter Has Announced Plans to Expand Its Military Aircraft Assembly Center at Rick Husband International Airport, Amarillo, Texas, to Cater for Ramp-ups in Production of the H-1 and V-22 Programs.

Bell’s V-22 Multi-year Production Contract Was a Primary Driver for Its Manufacturing Expansion. Bell is Contracted to Provide 167 Ospreys to the Us Marine Corps and Air Force Special Operations Command Over Five Years With an Annual Option for Adding Up to Five Additional Aircraft. The New 16,350m2 of Additional Floor Space Will Provide the Room Required to Build the Additional Aircraft.

“this Plant Expansion Enables Us to Meet the Urgent Needs of Our Customers,” Said Bell Executive Vp for Government Programs, Bob Kenney. “in Just a Few Short Years We Will Go From Manufacturing the 17 V-22s We’ll Deliver This Year to Over 40 Ospreys Annually. ” Construction of the New Facilities is Scheduled for Completion in July 2009 and Will Bring the Total Size of the Bell Facility to 101,730m2 Under Roof.

Boeing Wins Large Ch-47f Contract for Us Army

the Us Army Has Contracted Boeing to Supply 181 New Build and Remanufactured Ch-47f Chinooks Under a Five Year Multi-year Contract Valued at Us$4. 3bn (a$5. 1bn).

Signed in Late August, the Contract is on Top of an Additional 10 ‘f’ Model Chinooks Purchased Under Fiscal Year 2008 Supplemental Funding, and Includes Options for a Further 24 During the Life of the Contract.

Boeing Says the Contract Will Yield the Us Army Cost Savings of More Than Us$449m (a$523m).

“this Multi-year Award Not Only Allows the Army to Field This Important Aircraft at a Substantial Savings, but Enabled the Contractor to Enter Long Term Agreements for Speciality Metals, to Include Titanium, Which Significantly Reduced Longlead Times for These Critical Materials,” Said Col Newman Shufflebarger, the Us Army’s Project Manager for Cargo Helicopters. “the Army Was Able to Reduce the Lead Time Associated With a New Build Aircraft by Six Months. ” Until Now Orders for the New Foxtrot Variant Chinook Have Been Piecemeal. This Latest and Largest Order So Far Will Secure Boeing’s Chinook Production Schedule for the Next Five Years While Stabilising Its Workforce and Supplier Partners.

Its Believed Boeing Will Soon Announce Plans to Construct a New ‘greenfields’ Manufacturing Facility for the Ch-47s at Ridley Park,philadelphia, Close to Its Current Production Facility. The New Facility Will Allow Boeing to Streamline Chinook Manufacturing Using Processes Pioneered on Super Hornet Fighter Production.

Boeing Has So Far Delivered 48 New and Rebuilt (From Ch-47d) Ch-47f Chinooks, Allowing the Us Army to Equip Three Units.

A Grand Helicopter Adventure Leads to World Record

American Helicopter Pilots Scott Kasprowicz and Steve Sheik Unofficially Set a New Around-the-world Helicopter Speed Record in August Flying in Their Factory Standard Agustawestland a 109s Grand in August.

The Pair Stopped the Clock at 11 Days, Seven Hours and Two Minutes, Breaking the Previous Record by Almost Six Days.

The Record Attempt, Called the Grand Adventure 2008, Departed From New York’s Laguardia Airport on August 7 in the All-gloss Black Grand, N1us, to Cover the 20,046nm Route.

The Executive Configured Grand Had No Mission Specific Modifications or Additional Fuel Tanks to Improve Range.

The Grand Averaged an Airspeed of 150kt as the Helicopter and Its Crew Crossed the Atlantic Ocean Into Europe via Greenland, Then Traversed Western and Eastern Europe Into Russia, Before Returning to North America Over the Bering Strait and Crossing the Us, Returning to New York on August 18.

Kasprowicz and Sheik Flew the Grand Over 18 Countries and 49 Us States, Through 24 Time Zones and Made 78 Fuel Stops. Other Accomplishments on the Flight Included a New Speed Record for New York to London of Just Over 40 Hours, Breaking the Old Record by 35 Hours.

A Record of the Flight Will Be Submitted to the National Aeronautic Association for Ratification.

Usmc Declares Ioc for Uh-1y

the Us Marine Corps Has Declared Ioc (Initial Operational Capability) for the Latest Uh-1y Version of the Venerable Huey Helicopter After a Protracted Development Program.

The Ioc Declaration Comes After Three Aircraft Successfully Demonstrated All the Usmc’s Flight Requirements and That They Are Ready for Deployment, Which Will Likely Occur Later This Year.

The H-1 Upgrade Program Was Delayed After It Was Decided to Switch From Rebuilding Existing Uh-1ns to New Build Helicopters.

The Parallel Ah-1z Attack Helicopter Program is Also Close to Achieving Ioc.

Bell Plans for New Long Range Chopper

Bell is Believed to Be Investigating Plans to Develop a New Helicopter Type Capable of Flying Approximately 15 Passengers More Than 200nmoil Exploration Work.

According to a Recent Report on the Website of Fort Worth, Texas, Newspaper the Star-telegram, Bell Executives Have Been Pursuing Plans for a Larger Helicopter Over Recent Years, but Lately Have Upped the Ante to Become a Player in a Market Driven by High Oil Prices and Offshore Oil Exploration.

Sikorsky, Agustawestland and Eurocopter Currently Have the Offshore Helicopter Market Well Covered, With the Latter Having Recently Launching the Ec 175 in an Effort to Further Increase Its Share of This Growing Market.

Bell’s Engineers and Marketing Department Have Been Working at the Manufacturer’s Xworx Research and Development Facility in Arlington, Texas, to Explore Details of What the Market Needs and What It is Willing to Pay.

“we’re Not Getting Specific Until We’re Good and Ready,” Nick Lappos, Senior Vice President of Xworx, Told the Star-telegram. “when We Are, the Customers Will Vote With Their Feet. ” Bell Had Teamed With Agustawestland in 1998 to Jointly Develop the Ab139 to Complement, Rather Than Replace, Its 412 Product Range but Pulled Out of the Venture in Late 2005.

Agustawestland Continued With the Program to Develop the Very Popular Aw139.

Briefs

• Heliflite Delivered the First Helicopter From Its Recently Established Western Australian Helicopter Sales and Servicecentre at Jandakot Airport on August 26. The New R44 Clipper Ii Was Purchased by Perth Automotive Businessman Richard Stookes.

• the Army Deployed Its First Three of Up to 18 Arh Tiger Helicopters to Darwin in June to Begin Training With 1 Aviation Regiment’s 161 and 162 Reconnaissance Squadrons.

• Formal Charges Have Been Laid Against a Boeing Employee After It Was Found He Had Intentionally Vandalised a Ch-47 Chinook on the Company’s Ridley Park Production Line in May. The Employee is Accused of Cutting a Wiring Bundle of a New Ch-47f, and Faces a 10 Year Prison Sentence and a Us$250,000 (a$270,000) Fine.

• the Us Defense Security Cooperation Agency Has Notified the Us Congress of a Possible Sale to Iraq of Either 24 Bell Armed 407 Helicopters or 24 Boeing Ah-6 Helicopters.

• Canada Has Signed a Contract to Lease Six Russianmade Mil Mi-17 Helicopters and to Acquire Six Former Us Army Ch-47d Chinooks, in Addition to the 16 New Build Chinooks It Already Has on Order. The Mi-17s and the Former Us Army Machines Will Meet an Urgent Requirement to Support Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.

• Rolls-royce Signed an Mou With Rotorway International on July 28 to Discuss the Possibility of Using the Rr300 on Its Line of Exec Helicopters. The Rr300 Was Launched in 2007 and is the Powerplant for the Robinson R66.

• Work on the Us Army’s Arh-70 Program Has Been Suspended for Three Months While the Pentagon Reviews the Program’s Future.