Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

BLR Aerospace recently secured FAA approval for a performance increase for Bell 206L helicopters equipped with its Dual Tailboom Strakes, marking the latest certification in the company’s busy research and development program.

 


The FAA approval involves a flight manual supplement that permits up to 150 pounds of additional out-of-ground-effect hover performance. This translates into at least a 10 percent boost in useful load, the company said, but the performance increase will vary by operator and depend upon a number of other factors. The approval was BLR’s first for a performance-enhancing product for a light helicopter,

 


The company sees a broad market for the flight manual supplement: more than 1,700 Bell 206L variants have been delivered. Nearly 100 206-series helicopters are equipped with Dual Tailboom Strakes. In addition to the 206/206L series, the Dual Tailboom Strakes are installed on various Bell OH-58 (military 206) models and the 205 and 212.

 


The strakes are designed to control rotorwash, reducing undesired sideways lift. They also improve stability by reducing turbulence under the tailboom and reducing tail rotor pedal reversals by up to 38 percent.

 


BLR couples the strakes with a reshaped vertical fin for its FastFin Tailrotor Enhancement and Stability system. That modification provides anywhere between 10 to 90 percent increases in useful load, depending on model and density altitude.

 


Initially certified on the Bell UH-1 and 212, the FastFin became standard on the Bell 412EP in 2010. That represented an important endorsement by the helicopter manufacturer, said Dave Marone, BLR vice president of sales and marketing. Orders picked up steadily after that, and BLR recently delivered it 850th system

 


Along with various 212, 412 and UH-1models, FastFins have been certified on 204 and 205 models. “It is gratifying to see the FastFin technology experience such widespread acceptance in so many market segments and regions,” Marone said.

 


The 412 has provided a steady flow of orders, but growth more recently has come from the military market, he said. The government/military market accounts for 40 percent of new sales, with orders in 2014 from the military forces in the U.K., the Philippines, Colombia, Thailand and Cyprus. Marone attributes the pick up in business to tightened military and government budgets, which encourages technologies that boost efficiency. “Having the ability to fly higher or carry more, all with greater stability, is a significant benefit,” he said.

 


Marone believes business will remain strong, saying the company expects to sell more than 100 of the FastFin systems in 2015. BLR has sold more than 100 a year since 2011.

 


Even with the growth in the current models, the company is taking the initial steps to expand into new Bell models and add other manufacturers to the lineup. BLR recently completed initial testing on four new helicopter models that would bring its technology to Sikorsky and Airbus helicopters for the first time. BLR has successfully flown the performance enhancements on the Sikorsky S-61, Airbus AS350B3e and Bell 407 and AH-1 Cobra.

 


The preliminary flights validated that the technologies will improve out-of-ground-effect hover performance, clearing the way for further testing. While still in discussions with the various manufacturers, BLR is continuing the testing and could bring new modifications to the market for those helicopters over the next 12 to 24 months, Marone said.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

BLR Expanding Markets For Dual Tailboom Strakes/FastFin

The modification and upgrade company is adding more helicopter models to its list of candidates for performance-improving updates.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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Commercial shipments nearly doubled, while new military program brought in more than $80M

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Japan General Aviation Service is already a customer for the larger 429 model

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News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Plan will help ensure long-term job stability for Portugal workforce

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Twin-engine aircraft will be based at Broome in Western Australia

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Kits are retrofittable to 429s with existing single- or dual-hook systems

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News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

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