Rotor Torque

The New Model Features Allcomposite Rotor Blades, A Thales Integrated Avionics System And Autopilot, Active Vibration Control And Twin Pratt & Whitney Canada Pw210s Engines, And Will Enter The Mid-size Category Boasting Nearly Half A Billion Us Dollars In Orders.

Deliveries Are Expected To Start Later This Year.

More Than 800 S-76s Have Been Delivered That Together Have Amassed Some Six Million Flight Hours Since The Type Was Introduced In 1979.

Agl Action, Careflight Operational Merger Progresses

Cooperation Between The Agl Action Rescue Helicopter Service And Careflight Nsw Emergency Helicopter Services Has Moved A Step Closer, Boosted With The Board Of The Agl-sponsored Service Agreeing To Conduct Joint Due Diligence Towards Establishing An Operational Merger.

The Move Would Represent The Initial Stages Of Developing A National Framework For Australia’s 11 Community Helicopter Providers That Operate From 15 Bases Around The Country.

The Proposed Collaboration Is Aimed At Improving Efficiencies For Participant Organisations, But Also At Improving Patient Outcomes, Safety And Training, And Delivery Of Service By Creating Greater Synergies Between The Like Organisations. In July When The Initiative Was First Mooted Publicly, Agl Action Rescue Helicopter Service Ceo Dave Donaldson Said The Collaboration Was Something He Hoped Other Organisations Could Be Encouraged To Participate In As The Model Evolved.

“We Believe A National Framework Would Allow Us To Consolidate Our Depth Of Experience And Capabilities. It’s About Looking Within The Industry At The Way We Do Things And Out Of That Developing A National Best-practice. This Could Apply To Everything From Night Landings And Rescues To Training And Maintenance, Ultimately Improving Safety For Our Crews And Patients,” Donaldson Said.

Both Operators Involved In The Current Discussions Agree That Each Will Retain Its Identity Within Their Respective Communities, Something Considered Vital To Local Fund-raising Efforts.

Six Retired Iroquois Helos Find A Home

Defence Has Announced The Preferred Recipients Of Six Ex Army Bell Uh-1h Iroquois Helicopters That Had Been Offered To Historical Organisations Interested In Displaying The Vietnam-era Icons.

The Recipients Are: • Australian Flying Corps Raaf Association Western Australia Division; • Vietnam Veterans Associations Of Australia Mitchell Sub-branch Victoria; • Caboolture Warplane And Flight Heritage Museum Queensland; • Port Pirie Rsl Sub-branch South Australia; • Merredin Military Museum Western Australia; And • Scottsdale Rsl Sub-branch Tasmania.

The Last Of The Army’s Certified Sikorsky’s S-76d Has Received Us Faa Certification. (Sikorsky) Iroquois Were Retired In 2007 After More Than Four Decades In Raaf And Army Service.

Defence Has Said That Organisations Interested In Displaying The Helicopters Would Have To Cover Roughly $10,000 In Costs Associated With ‘De-militarising’ The Aircraft.

“The Iroquois Helicopters Served In The Australian Defence Force For Nearly Half A Century,” Minister For Defence Materiel Jason Clare Said In A Statement. “Today’s Announcement Means They Will Be Preserved To Ensure Their Contribution To Our Military Heritage Is Not Forgotten. ”

French Court Finds In Favour Of Bell

A French Court Has Dismissed Claims Against Bell Helicopter Brought By Eurocopter, Which Had Claimed The Original Design Of The Bell 429’s Skid Gear Infringed A Eurocopter Patent.

“This Ruling By The French Court, Once Again Validating The Design Of The Bell 429 Production Skid Gear, Is A Resounding Victory For Bell Helicopter,” Said John Garrison, President And Ceo Of Bell Helicopter. “Integrity Is Woven Into The Fibre Of Our Company And We Work Tirelessly To Ensure Our Actions Are Consistent With This Core Value. ” However, Bell Has A Similar Case Pending In The Us. In A Statement Announcing The French Court’s Dismissal Of The Case, Garrison Said: “We Intend To Continue To Vigorously Defend The Production Gear In The Pending Eurocopter Infringement Suit In The Us. This Ruling Underscores The Canadian Court’s Decision In A Similar Ruling In Favour Of Bell Helicopter And Provides Strong Support For Our Position,” Said Garrison.

All Bell 429s Will Continue To Be Delivered With The Revised Current Production Gear, According To Bell.

Meanwhile, Bell Helicopters Has Begun Work On New World Headquarters In Fort Worth, Texas. The Us$230 Million Building Will Consolidate Bell’s Facilities Into A Single Building And Improve Business And Energy Efficiency, Ultimately Saving The Company Us$19 Million In Annual Operating Costs.

Home To Central Administration, Support Functions, Customer Services And An Integrated Training Facility, Bell Is Moving Its Headquarters From Fort Worth Alliance Airport And Represents The Company’s Commitment To Texas Where, According To State Governor Rick Perry, Low Taxes And A Supply Of Skilled Workers Are Conducive To Aerospace Business. The New Building Will Accommodate More Than 6,000 Staff.

Us To Sell Apaches To Indonesia

The Us Is Poised To Sell Eight Ah-64d Apache Attack Helicopters To Indonesia As It Moves To Strengthen Ties In South-east Asia.

The Potential Sale Was Announced By Us Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton After Talks With Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.

The Us Has Sought To Shore Up Relations With Indonesia Amid Tensions With Beijing Over The South China Sea.

Indonesia Has Expressed Reticence Over Being Drawn In To A Conflict Between China And The Us.

Thais Order Ec725s & Aw139s

The Royal Thai Air Force Has Ordered Four Eurocopter Ec725s While The Royal Thai Army Has Ordered Two Agustawestland Aw139s.

The Ec725s Will Be Used For Search And Rescue, With Deliveries Scheduled For 2015.

Meanwhile The Royal Thai Army Will Take Delivery Of Its Two Aw139s In 2015. They Will Be Used For Transport And Utility Missions.

Thailand Joins Egypt, Ireland, Italy, Qatar And The Uae As Military Customers For The Aw139.

Briefs

• Northrop Grumman Has Teamed With Agustawestland To Offer The Latter’s Aw101 For The Us Air Force’s Combat Rescue And Us Navy ‘Marine One’ Presidential Helicopter Programs.

Previously Agustawestland Had Partnered With Lockheed Martin On The Earlier Vxx Presidential Helicopter Program, Which Was Cancelled Due To Cost Overruns And Schedule Delays.

Northrop Grumman And Agustawesltand Would Assemble The Aw101 In The Us If Successful In Either Program.

• The Japan National Police Agency Has Ordered Two Agustawestland Aw139s, While Itc-aerospace Has Become The First Japanese Customer For The Aw169.

• Sikorsky Has Announced It Its Closing Its Elmira, New York State Facility, Which Employs 575 Workers. Operated By Subsidiary Schweizer, The Military Completion Centre Performs Black Hawk And Seahawk Modification Work For Export Customers.

That Work Will Be Shifted To West Palm Beach, Florida.

• Sikorsky Is Continuing To Renegotiate Its Contract With The Canadian Government Over The C$5. 7 Billion (A$5. 6bn) For 28 S-92 Based Ch-148 Cyclone Naval Helicopters. “They Want Their Aircraft The Way They Ordered Them. The Issue Is That This Is A Development Program, And It Really Wasn’t Structured As A Development Contract,” Sikorsky President Michael Maurer Told A Recent Analysts’ Concert Call.