Rotor Torque

The aircraft were grounded on September 30 after a possible safety issue with the AFCS – a system similar to an autopilot which provides stability primarily in pitch, roll and yaw, attitude, altitude, speed, heading hold, roll quickening and other functions on the Chinook. The issue was thought to have been related to the crash of an Australian Chinook in Afghanistan in May which resulted in the death of a passenger and the subsequent destruction of the aircraft because it was deemed to be unrecoverable.

“Through thorough investigation and consultation with Boeing and the US Army – the largest operator of the CH-47D Chinook – we established there are no issues with the aircraft AFCS,” said Director General Aviation BRIG Neil Turton in an October 9 statement. “The CH-47D suspension that was put in place has now been lifted and all flying operations have now resumed.”
Chief of Army LTGEN David Morrison formally rescinded the “precautionary suspension” on advice from the Army’s Technical Airworthiness Authority.
Army currently has two Chinooks deployed to Kandahar in Afghanistan which are embedded into the US 101st Combat Aviation Brigade. One Chinook is currently in Papua New Guinea and two others are in or near Townsville.

Seven CH-47F Chinooks have been ordered to initially supplement and then replace the CH-47Ds from 2014.

In other Chinook news, Boeing has opened its revamped Ridley Township manufacturing plant in Philadelphia where the current CH-47F and MH-47G Chinooks are built.

The company says the US$130 million factory revamp will allow it to increase the Chinook production rate to six aircraft per month, up from the current four, helping it to complete an August 2008 contract to deliver 215 CH-47F Chinooks to the US Army. So far 143 CH-47Fs have been delivered.

Inquiry Into Adf Base Revamps

The federal parliament’s Public Works Committee (PWC) is conducting inquiries into the redevelopment of HMAS Albatross in NSW, and RAAF East Sale in Victoria.

Both bases are due to receive extensive redevelopments to support the introduction into service of new capabilities in the next decade.

Albatross will see new training helicopters based there as part of the Project Air 9000 Phase 7 Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) for Army and Navy, and the new MH-60R Romeo naval combat helicopter under Air 9000 Phase 8. “The HMAS Albatross redevelopment project aims to undertake works to facilities, infrastructure and engineering services that require replacement, refurbishment and upgrading to meet the air station’s projected operational and support capabilities for the next 30 years,” the committee’s chair Janelle Saffin MP said in a statement. “The Committee will scrutinise Defence’s proposal carefully to ensure the proposed works are fit for purpose and offer value for money.”

The Committee will be holding a public hearing on the proposed redevelopment at HMAS Albatross on Tuesday November 8 in Nowra, and on the proposed redevelopment at RAAF Base in East Sale on Friday November 25. Full details on the proposals are available on the Committee’s website.

Raytheon Gets Rmi Extension

Raytheon Australia will provide three Bell 429 helicopters to “maintain and develop the skills” of junior RAN aircrew under a new, four year Retention and Motivation Initiative (RMI) contract from 2012.

Raytheon will support and maintain the Bell 429s under the four year, $26 million contract. They will fly approximately 1500 hours per year in service with the RAN’s 723 Squadron at Nowra, replacing the AgustaWestland AW109E Powers Raytheon currently provides for the RMI contract.

“This is one way the Navy is making sure that pilots and aircrew are ready for the new [MH-60R] Romeo combat helicopters which will start arriving in 2014,” Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare said in a statement. “Junior aircrew initially train in Squirrel helicopters. They will then move on to the Bell 429 to improve and maintain their skills.”

Raytheon Australia managing director Michael Ward added, “We are very excited to be able to offer a new RMI solution that incorporates the latest generation of light twin helicopters. The Bell 429 was selected after an extensive trade study and we are confident it is the right helicopter.”

Raytheon has teamed with Bell Helicopter to offer the Bell 429 for the ADF’s Air 9000 Phase 7 Helicopter Aircrew Training Systems (HATS) project, an RFT for which is expected to be released before the end of 2011. Raytheon also provides ‘turn key’ maintenance support for the Navy’s fleet of 13 AS350 Squirrels.

Westpac Lifesaver Goes 24 Hours

The Sydney-based Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter commenced 24 hour search and rescue operations on October 1.

The service, based at Cape Banks on the northern tip of Botany Bay reduced its service to daylight hours only in 2007 following a cut in funding after the award of the NSW ambulance helicopter contract to CHC. But increased funding promised by the previous NSW Labor government and honoured by the new Coalition government has meant the service can return to 24 hour service.
“We have worked hard over the last 12 months to consolidate our services so that we can provide an outstanding rescue capability to the community on behalf of emergency services,” said Westpac Life Saver CEO, Stephen Leahy. “We have acquired a second helicopter and through the support of our major sponsor, Westpac Bank, we have opened another base on the NSW south coast at Moruya Airport. Most importantly, we conducted more than 300 rescue missions over the last 12 months.”

The Westpac sponsored helicopter is able to assist with any request for aviation search and rescue assistance. The service specialises in coastal and marine search and rescue, but can also assist with searches at any location inland.

Eurocopter Flies First Hybrid Helo

Eurocopter has successfully test flown a hybrid helicopter that combines a turboshaft engine with an electric motor.

The hybrid features a supplemental electric system to increase the manoeuvrability of the single-engine helicopter during an autorotation landing, and the demonstrator has been modified from a standard AS350 machine. In the event of an engine failure the electric motor provides power to the rotor, allowing a pilot to control the helicopter during descent.

“Eurocopter’s research and development efforts are used every day to push the frontiers by increasing helicopter safety and performance for the benefit of our customers, and we are proud to have brought the first helicopter equipped with an internal combustion engine and electric propulsion system to flight,” said Lutz Bertling, Eurocopter President and CEO. “Hybrid propulsion is an important element of Eurocopter’s innovation roadmap in developing the next generation of helicopters. It offers new opportunities for improvements in safety, along with the potential for reducing fuel consumption and emissions.”

K-max Wins Usmc Unmanned Helo Competition

The US Marine Corps has selected the Lockheed Martin/Kaman unmanned K-MAX to fulfil an urgent requirement for a Cargo Unmanned Aircraft Systems requirement in Afghanistan.
The selection follows a five-day Quick Reaction Assessment for the US Navy sponsored program in which the machine exceeded the Navy and Marines’ requirement to deliver 3000kg of cargo per day.

“This announcement underscores K-MAX’s strong performance and the strength of the Lockheed Martin/Kaman team,” said Dan Spoor, vice president of Aviation Systems in Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems & Sensors (MS2). “We are fully prepared to deploy our system and augment Marine Corps ground and air logistics in Afghanistan.”

The initial deployment team recently completed training and flight tests at Twenty-nine Palms in California, and the aircraft is being transported to Afghanistan.

Briefs

Two HH-60G Pave Hawks have become the first USAF operated H-60 Black Hawk series helicopters to reach the 10,000 flight hour milestone. The two machines – serials 81-23680 and 81-23644 – are operated by the USAF’s 512th Rescue Squadron, and first entered operational service in December 1982 and February 1983 respectively. They have both exceeded their design lives by more than 3000 hours.

Bell’s 407GX has received US FAA certification. The machine is equipped with a Garmin G1000HTM integrated glass cockpit with two 26cm LCD displays, and was announced at this year’s Paris Airshow. The avionics suite includes a Traffic Information System (TIS), Helicopter Synthetic Vision Technology (HSVT), a moving map, a Helicopter Terrain Avoidance Warning System (HTAWS), and range ring calculation.

Safran subsidiary Microturbo has announced the delivery of the first e-APU60 auxiliary power unit to its first customer. The company says the APU is specifically designed meet the demands of new-generation more-electric aircraft, and the first systems will be factory installed on new AgustaWestland AW149 and AW189 machines. EASA certification is scheduled for the end of 2012, and FAA certification for early 2013.