The ongoing product support and parts prices issues for Hughes/Schweizer S-269/300 operators could be coming to an end. Yesterday, Sikorsky announced that it was selling the type certificate and all related items, including its parts stores, to a new entity formed by Fort Worth, Texas-based Rotorcraft Services Group (RSG).

Sikorsky purchased Schweizer in 2004 and over the subsequent years Sikorsky's commitment to the S-300 piston single became increasingly ambiguous. The new entity, Schweizer RSG, will be based in Fort Worth and headed by David Horton, a former Schweizer general manager.

Horton told AIN that he hoped to have a website for the new company up and running soon, have parts available for customers before the end of February, and pledged that operators of the estimated 2,900 S-300-series helicopters worldwide would soon see better product support and competitive prices.

“We are going to work to remain competitive and make sure we have a very strong supply chain so we can deliver a good quality product at a market-accepted price,” he said. Sikorsky's prior agreement with China's AVIC to manufacture airframe parts for the S-300 remains in place with Schweizer RSG as part of an overall strategy to keep prices reasonable. He said Schweizer RSG would sponsor a gathering of S-300 distributors and operators at Heli-Expo next month. “We want to make sure we focus on what they tell us they need,” said Horton.