Rotor Torque

“The Bell 525 performed extremely well today,” said Bell senior flight test pilot Troy Caudill.

Bell will manufacture five flight test vehicles to fly a planned 1,500 hours towards attaining type certification, which it expects to achieve in early 2017.

Flight test vehicles two and three are scheduled to fly by the end of this year. The first two testhelicopters will be used for general performance evaluation and flight envelope expansion with the third used for loads surveys.

Prototypes four and five, expected to fly in 2016, will be representative of production helicopters and used to certify offshore and search and rescue equipment kits and used for customer demonstration flights.

Unveiled at Heli-Expo in 2012, Bell has signed more than 60 letters of intent for its 525 and later this year will start building its first Relentless for customer delivery.

Airbus Helicopters’ H160 makes first flight

The first flight of Airbus Helicopters’ new H160 design took place on June 13, just two weeks after performing its first ground run and only three months after the concept was unveiled to the public.

H160 prototype F-WWOG took offat 9. 30am from Airbus Helicopters’ facility in Marignane, France. With two flight test engineers and test pilot Olivier Gensse on board for the 40-minute flight, it performed a series of hovering and sideways flight manoeuvres.

“The first flight was very promising in terms of stability, vibrations and sound levels,” said Gensse following the flight. “We felt virtually no vibration – this is very promising. ” The H160’s first flight – not officially acknowledged by the manufacturer until four days after, despite images appearing on aviation and social media websites – occurred in the midst of Airbus Helicopters’ preparations for the Paris Airshow, which kicked off on June 15 with an H160 mockup central to its exhibition display.

Airbus Helicopters will fly three H160 prototypes during its test flight program, aiming for a service entry in 2018. The first prototype, whichreached an airspeed of 130kt on its second flight, is now involved in hot weather flight testing in the northern hemisphere summer. The second H160 prototype powered-up its avionics and systems for the first time on June 12 and is due to fly by September.

Airbus Helicopters is hoping its investment in developing the H160 can make up some ground in the oil and gas support, SAR and EMS markets where AgustaWestland’s AW139 has been dominating sales for more than a decade.

Navy commissions 725 Squadron as Romeo goes to sea

The Royal Australian Navy re‑commissioned 725 Squadron during a ceremony at HMAS Albatross, Nowra on June 11.

As NUSQN 725 the unit was stood up in February 2013, tasked with introducing the MH-60R Seahawk ‘Romeo’ into service, and will be the Fleet Air Arm’s training squadron for the new type, which is replacing the S-70B-2 ‘classic’ Seahawk. Current S-70B unit 816SQN will become the Romeooperational unit once it completes its transition to the MH-60R.

Twenty-four Romeos are being acquired, with deliveries now at the halfway point. 725SQN will operate seven Romeos with the remaining 17 to be assigned to 816SQN for operational deployments.

725SQN was initially formed as a Royal Navy unit in the Second World War. It was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in 1958 and would initially operate a mixed fleet of C-47 Dakota, Auster, Sea Fury, Firefly and Gannet aircraft.

Between 1962 and 1975 725SQN operated the Westland Wessex in the ASW training role, during which time it was involved in search and rescue efforts during the HMAS Voyager disaster, flying ASW patrols from HMAS Sydney during that ship’s troop transport runs to Vietnam, and rescue efforts during the Nowra floods and following Darwin’s Cyclone Tracy, both in 1974.

“We pride ourselves on being a team of highly professional, focused and committed men and women. We share these qualities with those who have gone before us and we very much look to carrying on the proud heritage of 725SQN,” commanding officer Commander David Frost said at the commissioning ceremony.

Shortly after the commissioning ceremony the Romeo program acheived another significant milestone with the first operational deployment of an MH-60R aboard an RAN ship.

In late June, ‘Gauntlet flight’, comprising Romeo N48‑005, six aircrew and 13 maintainers was embarked on HMAS Perth, ahead of the Anzac class frigate’s participation in Exercise Talisman Sabre 15 (a Romeo had already operated off HMAS Perth earlier in the year for first-of-class flight trials).

“After a considerable period of trials and training, the team is now ready and really looking forward to integrating fully with the ship’s company and being an integral part of Perth for the foreseeable future,” Gauntlet flight junior pilot LT Ben Thompson told Navy Daily.

Embarked with the flight is former 725SNQ XO and qualified flying instructor LCDR Todd Glynn, who was to qualify other aircrew tooperate the Romeo at sea before the ship took part in Talisman Sabre.

The Romeo is expected to achieve its initial operating capability at sea in August.

ATSB encourages global fuel system fitment

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has called on the US and European aviation safety regulators to increase the number of crash-resistant fuel systems fitted to existing and newly-manufactured R44 helicopters following the release of its final investigation report into the March 2013 crash of an R44 at Bulli Tops, south of Sydney.

“We have issued safety recommendations to the FAA and EASA,” said ATSB chief commissioner, Martin Dolan. “We ask them to take action to increase the number of crash-resistant fuel systems fitted to existing and newly‑manufactured helicopters. ” The report, released on June 4, said the main rotor blades of R44 VH-HWQ, which was fitted with an all-aluminium fuel tank, came into contact with tree branches causing a loss of control and the helicopter to impact the ground. The crash resulted in a substantial fuel leak followed by an intense post-impact fire that engulfed the helicopter, killing the pilot and three passengers on board.

Shortly after the Bulli Tops accident, and two earlier accidents in Australia involving R44s where post-impact fires caused fatalities after an otherwise survivable accident, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority made it mandatory for all operators to replace the R44’s all-aluminium fuel tank with a bladder-type fuel tank.

“We believe the FAA and EASA can help improve the safety of many helicopter pilots and their passengers,” said Dolan. “Statisticalanalysis of accidents in Australia and the United States over 10 years found a higher proportion of post-impact fires involving R44s than for other similar helicopter types. ” The ATSB says the bureau is expecting to hear from both the FAA and EASA about their proposed responses to the recommendations by early September.

New MD for Airbus Group Australia Pacific

Tony Fraser is the new Airbus Group Australia Pacific (AGAP) managing director after Dr Jens Goennemann stepped down from the position on July 1 after seven years at the helm.

Fraser, who retired from the Army in 2011 as a major general, is a former Head Helicopter Systems Division within the Defence Materiel Organisation. Most recently he was Head of Region – Australasia for AgustaWestland parent company Finmeccanica.

Dr Goennemann confirmed his departure on June 22 while announcing AGAP’s acquisition of Safe Air from Air New Zealand. “As the outgoing managing director of Airbus Group Australia Pacific, this is the last item to cross off my list; to strengthen the base in New Zealand upon which our business can grow,” said Dr Goennemann.

AHIA welcomes changes to Part 61

The Australian Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA) has welcomed changes to CASA’s new Part 61 regulations after the regulator responded to feedback it received from the helicopter community.

Feedback presented by the AHIA on the low-level rating demonstrated minimal safety benefits from the new requirements while creating administrative difficulties for pilots and operators. As a result, CASA has extended its 12-month flight review requirement for the low-level rating to every 24 months.

“There has been a lot of feedback to CASA about the new pilot licensing rules brought in in 2014 and we are making a number of changes to improve the rules and remove any unintended consequences,” said CASA spokesperson Peter Gibson. “In the new rules we had a requirement for a review of the low-level rating every 12 months, [but] due to the feedback from the industry we have extended that back to two years. ” AHIA president Peter Crook said this is a positive step for industry to contribute at a high level to legislate content for the improvement of the aviation industry. “With other significant amendments in the pipeline, these actions demonstrate industry input is now being taken seriously and it adds faith to those who want to contribute but may feel held back by the frustrations of the previous environment,” said Crook.

CASA has also removed a new requirement to maintain a minimum of two hours of low-level flying over six months. The regulator also said aerial mustering pilots would be required to have flown a minimum of 20 hours of aerial mustering operations in the preceding 12 months. If mustering pilots cannot meet this requirement they can complete a flight review, proficiency check or flight test that includes aerial mustering.

CASA says amendments to CASR Part 61 to reflect the changes to the low-level rating will be made shortly.

Defence confirms MRH 90 minor rotor head damage during LHD trials

Defence has confirmed that the MRH 90 troop transport helicopter encountered an issue relating to the starting and stopping of its rotorsduring recent first-of-class flight trials from HMAS Canberra.

A spokesperson for Defence told sister publication Australian Defence Business Review that the aircraft had been undertaking first-of-class trials aboard HMAS Canberra, the Navy’s first of two new LHD amphibious assault ships. The trials, conducted during March and April, were designed to test the limits required to develop the routine operating envelope for the helicopter flying off the LHDs.

“Although the MRH 90 rotor head is performing to specification in most situations, an issue related to starting and stopping rotors under certain environmental conditions was encountered,” the spokesperson said. “The incident resulted in minor repairable damage to the main rotor head of the aircraft; there were no crew injuries. ” The MRH 90 is continuing to operate off other Royal Australian Navy ships while the matter is being investigated, the Defence spokesperson added.

The issue first came to light in a June 29 story in The Australian which claimed, citing sources, that the LHD design “served to accentuate wind conditions that affected the helicopter rotors at slow speed, making it difficult for pilots to quickly start and stop the rotors on deck”.

‘Greener’ Bluecopter breaks cover

Airbus Helicopters has unveiled its Bluecopter, a modified H135 demonstrator designed to validate a number of new features to make its helicopters quieter and more fuel efficient with reduced environmental emissions.

The Bluecopter made its public debut at Airbus Helicopters’ Donauwörth, Germany facility on July 7 where it performed a handlingdisplay, but had been flying since April and has logged more than 28 flight test hours.

The Bluecopter features a bearingless five-bladed main rotor system with BlueEdge curved blade tips, a modified aft section and empennage, a newly-designed Fenestron tail rotor with a T-tail horizontal stabiliser and drag-reducing fairings around the main rotor hub and skids.

Airbus Helicopters said the Bluecopter has so far achieved a 40 per cent decrease in fuel consumption, significantly reducing CO2 emissions, and recorded an effective perceived noise profile approximately 10 decibels lower than ICAO’s noise certification limits.

Some less visible features of the Bluecopter, including its water-based paint scheme, have also helped Airbus Helicopters achieve its “greener” goals. An acoustic liner, integrated in the Fenestron’s shroud and an active rudder on the tail fin combine to help reduce noise. A new “eco-mode”, an engine power management system that operates one engine at its lowest possible power setting while the other runs at a higher speed, results in a power setting combination that is said to be more fuel-efficient than having two engines operating at a medium speed during phases of flight where full power is not required.

Airbus Helicopters has largely self-funded the Bluecopter, with several technologies used on the demonstrator developed within the framework of Europe’s Clean Sky joint technology initiative and Germany’s LuFo-IV research program.

H145, AW189 on tour

Airbus Helicopters’ global demonstration tour of its H145 saw the renamed EC145 T2 visiting Australia for the first time in late June for a month-long tour.

H145 demonstrator D-HADW visited potential customers at more than 15 cities and regional centres along the east coast including northern Queensland, the Army Aviation base at Oakey, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.

A highlight of the tour was a late afternoon landing on the rear helideck of super cruiser Tango, which was anchored in Rose Bay, Sydney Harbour.

Airbus Helicopters test pilot Diethelm Berndt said the H145 had the right size and the right power-to-weight ratio for helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) and police operations.

“That makes it attractive,” Berndt told reporters at Bankstown Airport on June 22. “There is nothing comparable on the market. ” “My prediction is you will see this as the standard HEMS and police helicopter in many parts of the world. ” A New Zealand-based customer accepted delivery of an H145 in April, the first delivery of the type in this part of the world.

Meanwhile, there are currently about 10 earlier model EC145s flying in Australia. Compared to the EC145 the H145 features a Fenestron shrouded tail rotor and twin Turbomeca Arrius 2E engines.

Airbus Helicopters senior sales promotion manager Christian Fanchini said the twin-engine H145 at maximum power was about 21 per cent more powerful than the EC145.

“It is really a very powerful aircraft, particularly useful for extreme conditions – altitude and hot temperatures,” Fanchini said.

“Today, we could say that this light twin-engine is the most powerful you can find to fly in these extreme conditions. ” Fanchini said Airbus Helicopters had booked about 150 orders for the H145, which was first certified by European regulators in April2014 and the US Federal Aviation Administration in October 2014.

Earlier in June AgustaWestland had brought an AW189 to Australia for three days as part of its Asia Pacific demonstration tour. Darwin was the only destination for the AW189, registered 9M-WSS to Malaysia’s Weststar, where it was demonstrated to offshore operators and government customers.

X6 concept launched at Paris Airshow

Airbus Helicopters has unveiled plans to develop a brand new heavy-lift helicopter, dubbed the X6, as a follow-up to its popular H225 Super Puma and targeting oil and gas, SAR and VIP operators.

Announced on June 16 at the Paris Airshow, Airbus Helicopters says it has started a two-year development program for the X6 ahead of anticipated service entry early next decade.

A futuristic artist’s impression of the twin-engine, fly-by-wire, five-bladed main and tail rotor helicopter indicates the X6 will use technology and features commonwith Airbus Helicopters’ recent H175 and H160 designs.

Airbus Helicopters chief executive Guillaume Faury said the X6 would be the first civil fly-by-wire helicopter in its product range. “We came to the conclusion that fly-by-wire controls make sense for a heavy helicopter for the future as it helps to drive capability and safety. We intend to work with a customer advisory panel to ensure the configuration of the X6 is designed by customers, for customers. ” No engine has yet been selected for the concept phase, but several manufacturers including Turbomeca, with its new 3,000shp (2,237kW) Tech3000 turbine, and GE will be likely contenders.

Production of the 19-seat X6 is likely to be in parallel with the H225, which Airbus Helicopters says will continue at least for the next 15 years.

Sikorsky for sale?

United Technologies Corporation announced on June 15 it would divest its Sikorsky business.

“Our strategic review has confirmed that exiting the helicopter business is the best path forward,” said UTC president and chief executive Greg Hayes. Promoted to CEO of UTC in November, Hayes soon after launched a strategic review into the future of Sikorsky.

The UTC chief said that the “separation of Sikorsky from the portfolio will allow both United Technologies and Sikorsky to better focus on their core businesses. Over the coming weeks, we’ll determine whether a spinoff or direct sale is the best way to enhance Sikorsky’s long-term success and create the most value for customers and shareholders. ” With annual revenues of US$7. 5 billion, Sikorsky is the smallest of UTC’s four business divisions, about half the size of its Pratt & Whitney engine business and its Aerospace Systems unit (which comprises Goodrich and Hamilton Sundstrand), and about a quarter of the size of the company’s Building & Industrial Systems division (which includes Otis, Carrier and Chubb).

According to a Reuters report Lockheed Martin and Textron (which owns Bell Helicopter as wellas Cessna) had emerged as the likely buyers for Sikorsky, which reports have valued at around US$8 billion. The report said Boeing was “no longer active” in the sale process and nor was Airbus Helicopters a potential buyer.

Sikorsky has been hit by weakening oil and gas production, which has seen a fall in commercial sales. Sikorsky’s military products, which account for around 70 per cent of the company’s business, are also down on the back of the US military reducing its spend on modernising its helicopter fleets.

RACQ CareFlight opens new Brisbane base

Queenslands’s RACQ CareFlight began helicopter medical retrieval operations from its newly established Brisbane Airport base on July 1.

Located on the eastern side of the airport, the new base is RACQ CareFlight’s sixth and will provide it with a central aeromedical hub that will be utilised primarily for neonatal and inter-facility transfers(IFTs) of seriously ill and critically injured patients.

CareFlight Group Queensland established the new service in response to an identified need for an enhanced service in the Brisbane-Gold Coast corridor. The new business is temporarily serviced by one of CareFlight’s Bell 412EPs until the arrival in September of a new AW139 especially configured for IFT missions.

Also on July 1 the merger between Mount Isa’s RACQ NQ Rescue and CareFlight Group Queensland became official. CareFlight’s Mount Isa service, which covers over 500,000km2, around 23 per cent of the state, has also established a new working relationship with the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) based at Mount Isa Airport, which has shared hangar space and office facilities with the rescue helicopter service. A new tasking protocol between the two services will also be implemented to improve processes and provide the best possible outcomes for all patients.

K-Max production resumes

Kaman Aerospace has resumed commercial production of its K-1200 K-Max heavy-lift utility helicopter with the first new machine expected to roll off its production line in early 2017.

Kaman said non-recurring costs to restart K-Max production are expected to be minimal with its first 10 K-Maxes produced expecting to generate revenues for Kaman of up to US$85 million.

The single-engine, single-seat K-Max, with its counter-rotating rotor system, is capable of lifting up to 2,700kg and will be manufactured at Kaman’s Jacksonville, Florida and Bloomfield, Connecticut facilities. The first 10 new machines will go to joint launch customers Rotex Helicopter AG in Switzerland and Georgia-based Helicopter Express.