Swiss Rotor Services, which manufactures bubble windows for Airbus H125/AS350 helicopters, is introducing a new cockpit visibility solution for the single-engine rotorcraft. The Smart Pilot View Kit (SPVK), which the company is showcasing this week at Verticon, is a smaller and more affordable version of the bubble-shaped Maximum Pilot View Kit (MPVK) it certified in 2017.

Whereas the MPVK replaces the right cockpit door with a bubble-window door, the SPVK retains the original pilot door and adds a large lower viewing aperture along with a transparent window fairing. According to Swiss Rotor, the SPVK increases a pilot’s field of view by a factor of 6.25 compared to similar floor-window solutions.

“The MPVK is and stays the maximum visibility solution for aerial work [and] vertical reference professionals. The SPVK was born as a more affordable solution, providing the maximum visibility while retaining the original pilot door,” Swiss Rotor CEO Marco Iseli told AIN.

SPVK modification kits will cost 48,500 Swiss francs (about $55,000)—a little more than half the current price of the MPVK—and installation takes about a day and a half, according to Iseli. He said the SPVK is particularly suitable for mission sectors such as law enforcement, firefighting, and power line surveys.

With the standard floor window, the pilot has a view of about 120 sq m (1,290 sq ft), and the SPVK increases that to 750 sq m (8,072 sq ft), the company claims. With the larger MPVK, the field of view is about 1,200 sq m (12,917 sq ft).

Swiss Rotor expects to obtain a supplemental type certificate for the SPVK modification from EASA in June. The Zweisimmen, Switzerland-based company will seek FAA and Transport Canada certification immediately after EASA grants approval, Iseli said. It also plans to pursue certification in Mexico, Brazil, and China.

Meanwhile, Swiss Rotor is also rolling out updates and improvements to the flagship MPVK, Iseli said. “The MPVK has got a new design at the lower window to optimize the fit and to generally strengthen the window against fractures and cracks,” he noted.

Additionally, the company is working to ease regulatory restrictions on door configurations and is seeking authorization for the MPVK’s lower window to be removable during flight. Removing that floor window allows for greater visibility in rain or when the sun is low on the horizon, and it can help cool the cabin during firefighting missions or extended hover flights, according to Swiss Rotor.

“From the development of the MPVK, we have learned a lot to perfect the SPVK,” Iseli said, adding that the SPVK “has the potential to become a standard installation for H125.”