Rotor Torque

A Navy Sea King From 817sqn, Embarked Onboard Hmas Success, Diverted From Its Operations in the Torres Strait to Assist in the Search Following Initial Reports of the Missing Aircraft.

The Wreckage Was Located at 5200ft Above Sea Level on Steep Terrain and in Dense Jungle Near the Village of Isaruva, With Rescuers Winched Into the Crash Area by the Sea King.

Two Army S-70a Black Hawks From the Holsworthy Based 171 Squadron Flew to Raaf Richmond Before Being Loaded Onboard a 37sqn C-17 for Transport to Png to Assist With the Investigation and Recovery Efforts.

A Ground Force Including Pngdf Personnel Cut a Clearing and Constructed a Makeshift Landing Zone Adjacent to the Crash Site, Enabling Investigators and Supplies to Be Flown in by the Black Hawks.

Defence Imagery Shows the Black Hawks Precariously Landing on Main Wheels Only (Pictured Above) While Stores and Personnel Were Transferred.

In the Days After the Crash the Black Hawks Were Used to Recover the Victims’ Bodies, the Aircraft’s Engines, and Other Debris From the Crash Site to Port Moresby.

Australia’s Atsb is Assisting Png Authorities With the Investigation Into the Exact Causes of the Accident.

Romeos and Merlins Aboard Ran Warships

a Us Navy Sikorsky Mh‑60r Seahawk Embarked for the First Time Aboard Ran Frigates Hmas Sydney and Ballarat in Late July While the Ships Transited Chesapeake Bay on Route to Norfolk, Virgina.

The ‘romeo’ Landed on the Heli Decks of the Sydney and Ballarat While the Ships Were Mid Way Through a Six Month Round-the-world Deployment for Operation Northern Trident 2009.

The Embarkation Gave the Us Navy an Opportunity to Demonstrate the Helicopter and Itscapabilities to the Ran, With the Mh-60r a Contender for Air 9000 Phase 8 Future Naval Aviation Combat System to Replace the Ran’s 16 Seahawks.

Meanwhile on August 11 a Royal Navy Merlin Hm Mk 1 Embarked Aboard Hmas Toowoomba’s Flightdeck (Pictured) During Training in the Gulf of Oman. The Anzac Class Frigate is Assigned to Operation Slipper, Serving in the South Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea Supporting Counter Terrorism and Anti-piracy Efforts.

20 Years of Ran Seahawks

September Marked the 20th Anniversary of the Delivery of the First of 16 Sikorsky S-70b- 2 Seahawks to the Navy.

The First Navy Seahawk, N24-001 ‘870’, Was Accepted From the Manufacturer in September 1989 and First Flew With the Seahawk Introduction and Transition Unit in the Following Month.

In Service With 816 Squadron at Hmas Albatross, Nowra, Since 1992, the Ran’s Seahawks Have Amassed Over 60,000 Accident Free Flying Hours Including Operational Missions in the Middle East, East Timor, the Solomon Islands and More Recently in Support of Anti-piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

“the Navy is Justifiably Proud of What We’ve Managed to Achieve in the Past 20 Years and of Our Safety Record,” Said 816sqn Commanding Officer, Commander Chris Smallhorn.

“our Safety and Operational Record is Underpinned by an Extraordinarily Talented and Dedicated Team, Both Past and Present, Who Consistently Put Their Best on the Table Every Day and There is Great Pride in What We Do at 816sqn. ” 816sqn Celebrated the Seahawk 20th Anniversary Milestone at Its Annual Ball on August 28.

Bae Systems Opens Tsv Hangar

Bae Systems Opened Its New Aircraft Maintenance Centre at Townsville Airport on August 27. The New $10 Million, 5500m2 Dual Hangar Facility, Part of the Airport’s Northern Australian Aerospace Centre of Excellence Development, Becomes the New Home of Its Army Black Hawk and Chinook Helicopter Support Programs. They Replace Bae System’s Smaller World War 2 Era Hangars at the Airport, and Are Each Able to Accommodate Up to Boeing 737 Size Aircraft, Are Airconditioned and Have Direct Access to the Taxiway.

“over the Past Nine Years Bae Systems Has Played an Important Role in Assisting the Preparations and Sustainment of Both Chinook and Black Hawk Helicopters Across a Broad Range of Activities,” Minister for Defence Personnel, Material and Science, Greg Combet, Said in Officially Opening the Facilities.

“these Activities Have Included Operations in East Timor, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Our Local Region and More Recently in Papua New Guinea. ” Combet Pointed Out That the Army’s Black Hawks Experienced an 11 Per Cent Increase in Rate of Effort During the 2008- 09 Financial Year –the Highest for More Than Six Years.

Agustawestland Acquires More of Pzl-swidnik

Agustawestland Has Signed an Agreement to Purchase Around 88 Per Cent of Polish Helicopter and Aerostructures Company Pzl-świdnik for Pln 329m (a$135m), on Top of the 6. 2 Per Cent It Already Owns.

Pzl Builds Fuselages for Five Agustawestland Helicopters, So the Purchase Should Allow Agustawestland to Consolidate and Expand Its Operations Throughout Europe.

The Purchase is Subject to Antitrust Approval Which is Expected to Be Completed by the End of 2010.

Urgent Usmc Cargo Uav Competition

a Lockheed Martin/kaman Team and Boeing Will Compete for an Urgent Us Marine Corps Requirement for Unmanned Cargo Aircraft.

Boeing Says It Will Offer Its A160t Hummingbird (Designated Ymq-18a for Ongoing Development), While Lm/kaman Will Offer an Unmanned Version of the Twin-rotor K-max Helicopter. Northrop Grumman’s Mq-8b Fire Scout Was Ruled Out of Contention.

The Usmc Has Awarded Both Competing Bidders Contracts for a Demonstration Phase Which Will Occur Before February Next Year. A Services Contract is Expected to Follow Which Will Include an Immediate Deployment to Afghanistan.

The Unmanned Cargo Helicopter is Expected to Deliver at Least 1000kg of Cargo to Forward Deployed Units, and Will Replace Truck Convoys and Manned Aircraft.

First Russian Far/jar-27 Turbine Helicopter Unveiled

Russian Helicopters Unveiled Its Mil Mi-34s2 Sapsan Four-seat Turbine Development of the Mi-34 Helicopter at the Maks Airshow in Zhukovsky on August 25.

The Sapsan, or ‘peregrine’, is the First Russian Helicopter Designed to Far/jar-27 Standards, and Will Be Powered by a Turbomeca Arrius 2f Following the Signing of an Mou Signed Between Russian Helicopters and the French Engine Manufacturer at Maks.

To Be Marketed Initially in Russia, Serial Production of the Mi-34s2 Will Commence in 2011 at Arsenyev Aviation Company Progress, Which Also Manufactures the Ka-50 Black Shark and Ka-52 Alligator Helicopters.

Manufacture of the Piston Engined Mi-34s1 Will Continue Until the Sapsan Enters Production.

Raf Loses Two Chinooks in Two Weeks

Two Royal Air Force Ch-47 Chinooks Supporting Coalition Forces in Afghanistan Were Lost in as Many of Weeks in Late August.

During the First Incident the Chinook Crew Made an Emergency Landing After Coming Under Heavy Fire From Taliban Militants. The Chinook Was Destroyed by a Coalition Airstrike After the Helicopter Could Not Be Safely Recovered.

The Loss Was the First Involving a Raf Chinook Since the Type Was Deployed to Afghanistan in Early 2006.

During the Second Incident Another Chinook Was Deliberately Destroyed After It Made a Suspected Hard Landing Which Caused Damage to Its Undercarriage, Nose and Front Rotors.

During Both Incidents All Crew and Troops on Board Escaped Injury.

Meanwhile, to Help Bolster Its Heavy Lift Commitments in the War in Afghanistan, Theraf Has Commenced a Four Month Environmental Training Exercise With Its Merlin Hc3/3as at the Us Navy’s El Centro Training Facility Near San Diego, California, to Prepare Merlin Crews for Deployment to Afghanistan.

The Mod’s Last Merlin Hc3s Deployed on Operations in Iraq Returned in Early August, and the Type is Scheduled to Make Its Debut in Afghanistan Before the End of the Year.

Efis R22-gt Certified

Canada’s Asap Avionics Attained Transport Canada and Faa Certification for Its R22-gt (‘glass Trainer’) on August 24.

Similar to Its Efis R44 Grand (See June 2008 Issue Aa) the R22-gt Features Two 21cm Sagem Lcd Screens, Replacing the Traditional Analogue Factory Instrumentation, Giving Trainee Pilots Exposure to Flying a Low Cost Per Hour ‘glass Cockpit’ Helicopter From the Commencement of Their Training.

“with the Canadian Certification We Are Already Certified in Australia With Bilateral Agreements So We’re Hoping for Great Things Down Under,” Asap Avionic’s President Mark Sylvester Told Australian Aviation.

“the R22-gt Will Give Students an Opportunity to Train Using Equipment They Will See in the Next Generation of Helicopters. ” the First R22-gt Has Commenced Operations With Specialized Helicopters, California, as an Ifr Trainer.

Briefs

• Canada Has Ordered 15 Ch‑47f Chinooks From Boeing Under a Us$1. 15bn (a$1. 4bn) Contract. The Aircraft Will Be Designated Ch-147 in Canadian Service.

As Part of the Contract, Boeing Has to Match Every Dollar Spent on the Ch‑147 Acquisition by Partnering With and Issuing Contracts to Companies in Canada.

• Australian Aerospace Has Awarded Thales Australia a Contract to Upgrade the Army’s Tiger Arh Topowl Helmet-mounted Sight Displays. The Upgrade Will Enhance the Arh’s Night Vision Capability of the Sights.

• Eurocopter Vostok and Utair, the Largest Russian Helicopter Operator, Signed a Memorandum of Agreement on August 27 to Jointly Develop a Flight Training Centre in Tyumen, West Siberia, Russia, to Train Flightcrews and Technicians on Eurocopter Helicopters. The New Centre Will Commence Operations in Early 2010.