Rotor Torque

Wollongong’s Illawarra Mercury Newspaper Reported on October 7 That the Seasprites Had Started Shipping Out of Port Kembla, Covered in a Protective Shrink Wrapping and Destined for the United States. Eleven Sh-2gs Were Built for the Ran, but Part of the Contract Settlement for the Program, Which Was Cancelled in March, Was for the Helicopters to Be Returned to the Manufacturer.

Ten of the Aircraft Had Been in Storage at Hmas Albatross Near Nowra Since They Were Grounded From Flying in May 2006.

Industry Speculation Has Been That Kaman Has Started Offering the Helicopters to Eastern European Nations Which Have Recently Joined Nato, Such as Romania. New Zealand Has Also Publicly Expressed an Interest in Acquiring Some of the Components to Help Support Its Own Fleet of Seasprites.

Careflight’s Rescue Simulator a Realistic Experience

New South Wales’s Nrma Careflight Has Unveiled a Unique Transportable Rescue Simulator Offering Its Helicopter Crews a Realistic Training Environment to Improve Winching Skills and Gain Confined Cabin Experience.

The Simulator Uses the Fuselage Section of an Ex Canadian Military Bell Iroqouis Obtained in the Us. The Fuselage and Other Components Were Brought to Australia to Be Fitted Out and Then Repainted in Careflight Colours.

“the Original Idea Was to Use This Prop for Winch Simulation Training Only, However, That’s All Changed,” Said Nrma Careflight Founding Director Ian Badham. “in Cooperation With the Engineering and Operations Staff the Inside of the Aircraft Was Stripped and Refitted So That It Could Be Used Not Only for Winch Training but Medical Staff Training, Crew Training and Public Relations Events. The Inside Was Designed So That Kids Could Play With Allthe Buttons and Gauges but Still Maintain an Environment That Would Suit the Adult Training Needs as Well. ” a Feature of the Simulator is Its Sound System Capable of Generating the Same Internal Sound Levels a Helicopter of This Type Would Make. The Sound System Consists of a Dual 500watt Powered Sub Woofer and 4 X 250watt Coaxial Mid and Hi Range Speakers Inside the Cabin Area.

It is Proposed That Fire Brigades and Police Personnel Will Also Use the Simulator as Part of Their Initial Helicopter Exposure and Familiarisation Training.

Microflite Expresses Interest in Magnetic Island Link

Melbourne Based Microflite Helicopter Services Has Expressed Interest in Providing an on-demand Helicopter Link Between Magnetic Island on the Northern Queensland Coast and Townsville Airport and Various Other Attractions on the Mainland.

Microflite Proposes to Use an Ec 120b to Provide a Rapid Transport Link for Tourists, Visitors and Residents.

A Series of Trials Will Soon Be Conducted From an Existing Emergency Helipad on the Island in Nelly Bay and From the Magnetic Island Country Club at Picnic Bay to Assess the Proposal’s Suitability.

Subject to Regulatory Approvals and Community Consultation, Microflite Hopes the Link May Be in Operation by the End of December.

Funding Boost for National Aerial Firefighting

the Federal Government Will Contribute $10. 2 Million to Increase the Number of Aerial Firefighting Assets Across Australia During This Year’s Bushfire Season, Attorney-general Robert Mcclelland Announced at Emergency Management Australia’s Macedon, Victoria, Headquarters on October 28.

“this Funding Will Allow for a Greater Number of Firefighting Aircraft to Be Used This Bushfire Season Than Would Otherwise Be Available,” Mcclelland Said.

The Funds Will Be Provided to the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (Nafc), Which is Responsible for the National Coordination of Resources and Sharing of Aerial Firefighting Equipment Between States and Territories. This Brings to $41. 2 Million Over Four Years the Government’s Total Contribution to Help Mitigate the Risk of Bushfire Across Australia.

The 2008/09 National Aerial Firefighting Fleet Will Again Be a Mix of Fixed-wing Aircraft and Helicopters and Includes Five High Capacity Aircrane Helicopters.

The Fleet Will Be Initially Based in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, but Will Be Moved Around the Country on a Needs Basis.

Philippines Wants Australian Iroquois

the Philippines Government Has Requested Australia Donate 12 Ex Army Uh-1h Iroquois to Help With Its Fight Against Maoist and Muslim Rebels in the South of the Country.

A Reuters Report Quoted an Australian Embassy Official in Manila Saying That a Decision on the Request, as Well as Other Proposals for the 37 Stored Helicopters, Will Be Made by the End of the Year. With Only 12 Currently in Flying Condition, These Could Possibly Go to the Philippines While Other Aircraft May Be Offered to Rsls, Memorials and Other Interested Parties. Any Transfer to the Philippines Would Require Us Government Approval.

Arh-70 Cancelled by Pentagon

the Pentagon Has Scrapped the Bell Arh-70 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Program Due to Cost Overruns Which Forced the Program Into a Nunn-mccurdy Review.

The Pentagon’s Chief Weapons Buyer John Young Said on October 16 That the Four Year Delay to the Arh-70 and Cost Blowouts Which Have Seen the Unit Costs for the Helicopter Rise Byover 70 Per Cent to Us$14. 5m (a$21. 7m) Forced It to Terminate the Program. It is Expected That the Arh Competition Will Now Be Re-run.

A Bell Spokesman Said in a Reuters Report That the Company Was “extremely Disappointed” With the Decision Given That the Helicopter Had Already Passed a Number of Milestones During the 1400 Hours Accumulated on the Test Aircraft.

The Nunn-mccurdy Law Requires Defence Programs Which Are Running More Than 25 Per Cent Above Budget to Be Cancelled Unless It Can Be Shown That the Program is Essential to National Security or There is a Lack of an Economic Alternative.

The Cancellation of the Arh-70 is the First Under the Laws for Some Time.

Consequently, in Late October Bell Announced It Will Lay Off Approximately 500 of Its Workers Representing About Four Per Cent of Its Workforce.

“with the Loss of the Arh‑70a Program, We Must Make Changes in Our Staffing and Structure to Reduce Costs and Ensure That Our Products Remain Competitive,” Said Bell President and Ceo Richard Millman.

The Announcement Comes Only Weeks After Boeing Announced That It Would Offer Its Ah-6 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter on the International Market. The Ah-6 is Now Likely to Be a Key Contender for a Re-run in the Competition to Replace the Us Army’s 375 Oh-58d Kiowa Warrior Helicopters.

The Ah-6 is Based on the Md-500 Light Turbine Civil Helicopter and is Powered by a Rolls-royce C30r/3m Engine Driving a Six Blade Rotor System. It Will Feature an Electro-optical/infrared Forward- Looking Sight. It Will Be Able to Be Armed With Hellfire Missiles, the M260 Seven-shot Rocket Pod, a Machine Gun and a Mini-gun Integrated With the Sensor System.

The Ah-6 is Based on the Helicopter Boeing Put Forward in the Us Army’s 2005 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Competition Won by the Arh‑70. It Also Builds on Earlier Armed Versions of the Md-500 Helicopter, Such as the Mh-6 ‘little Bird’ Used by Us Army Special Forces Units.

Us Navy Orders Uh-72 Light Utility Helicopter

the Us Navy Ordered Five Uh-72a Lakotas in October for Helicopter Pilot Training.

The Five Uh-72as, Purchased at a Fixed Price of Us$24m (a$36m), Will Be Based at the Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland.

Over 40 Lakotas (of the 350 on Order) Are Currently in Service With Us Army and Army National Guard Units Throughout the Us in Homeland Security, Medevac, Vip, Support and Logistics Operations.

Delivery of Navy’s Lakotas is Expected to Commence in October 2009 With the Final Helicopter Scheduled for Delivery in January 2010.

Eurocopter Launches Ec 225 Sim

Eurocopter and Helisim Officially Launched the First Ec 225 Full Flight Simulator (Ffs) on October 10 at Marignane, France, Catering for the Increasing Number of Ec 225s Being Sold Primarily for Use in the Oil and Gas Industries.

The Ec 225 Ffs is to Be Qualified to Level D According to Jar Fstd 1h Standards. It Includes a Full-motion Systemwith Six Degrees of Freedom, an Instructor Station, Simulation of All Systems and Optional Equipment Solutions, Avionics System and Full Replica of the Ec 225 Cockpit, Sound System, Original Oem Simulation Data Package and a Visual System Field of View of 200 Degrees Horizontal and 60 Degrees Vertical Daylight/ Dusk/night.

The Visual Database Features Detailed Airports, Heliports, Helipads and Platforms as Well as Realistic 3d Moving Models and Full Correlation Between Databases.

Malaysia Suspends Controversial Helicopter Buy

the Malaysian Government Has Suspended a Planned Purchase of Eurocopter Ec 725 Cougar Helicopters for Its Military Due to the Financial Crisis, Amid Strong Criticism From Other Manufacturers.

Eurocopter Confirmed in Mid October That It Was in Negotiations With the Malaysian Government for an Order for 12 Cougars to Replace the Royalmalaysian Air Force’s Ageing Sikorsky S-61 Nuri Utility Helicopters. The Announcement Drew Anger From Other Bidders, Including Agustawestland, Boeing, Sikorsky and Kazan, as Well as Opposition Figures in Malaysia Who Claim That the Government Failed to Follow Proper Process in Selecting the Cougar, Including Failing to Conduct Flight Evaluations of the Alternative Helicopters Offered.

There Were Also Concerns at the Us$470m (a$694m) Price Tag for the Helicopters, Which Opposition Parties Claim Costs More Than Twice a Similar Contract Signed by Brazil.

However, Malaysia’s Prime Minister and Defence Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Said That the Shelving of the Deal Was Due to the Needs of the Government to Spend Money Elsewhere as a Result of the Global Financial Crisis. “once the Financial Situation Improves, We Will Buy. We Need New Helicopters to Replace Our Ageing Fleet,” He Was Quoted as Saying in Flight International.

“until Then, We Must Ensure That We Service These [existing] Aircraft as Best We Can. ” Should Economic Conditions Improve, It is Likely That the Tender May Be Revisited in 2011, Which Could See the New Helicopters Arrive From 2013.

Briefs

• Eurocopter and Pt Dirgantara Indonesia Have Signed an Agreement Under Which the Two Companies Will Establish an Assembly Line in Indonesia for the as 332l Super Puma Mk Ii Helicopter. According to Eurocopter, the Contract is for 10 Years and Worth Us$46m (a$69m).

• Cae is Buying Out Singaporean Company Kestrel Technologies Pte Ltd. Kestrel Provides Simulator Maintenance and Technical Support for the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s Super Puma and Ch-47 Chinook Helicopter Simulators.

• American Eurcopter Delivered the First Uh-72a Lakota to Be Assembled at Its Columbus, Ohio, Facilities to the Us Army in Early October. The Uh-72a Follows 40 Delivered From Eurocopter’s German Facilities, and Also Incorporates the First Uh-72a Tail Boom Entirely Manufactured at the Columbus Facility.