Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

BLR Aerospace (Booth 11343) received FAA supplemental type certificate (STC)&nbsp;approval in December and EASA approval in January for installation of its FastFin tail rotor enhancement and stability system on the single-engine Airbus Helicopters H125 family. Additional certifications from Transport Canada and Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC) are expected to follow soon.


FastFin is now available both as an aftermarket option on pre-owned helicopters and as a factory-installed STC option on new H125s. FastFin uses advanced airflow management to increase the effectiveness of the H125 anti-torque system and yields certified performance improvements, including up to 130 pounds increased useful load and a 10 percent improvement in pedal margins. BLR said additional benefits include a reduction in pilot workload, easier control in precision hover-hold operations and better management of the yaw axis when hovering in challenging crosswinds.


Though based on the same aerodynamic principles, the H125 FastFin differs from the version for medium Bell helicopters in that it does not modify the vertical fin, but rather is composed of a tailboom aerodynamic cowling, a tailboom strake and vortex generators.


BLR president Mike Carpenter said the $69,950 system requires about 120 man hours to install and that the company plans to ramp up to 100 kits this year and 160 next year. He said there are approximately 3,800 Airbus helicopters that could benefit from the system. An H125 with the system installed is on display at Heli-Expo in static display space 10.


Additionally, BLR announced in January that EASA had certified the FastFin system for installation on the Bell&nbsp;AB412, yielding an increased useful load of 1,250 pounds and improved stability in hover operations.&nbsp;

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

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