Rotorcraft
News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.
Rotorcraft
Bell Delivers 300th Jet Ranger X
The first Bell 505 was delivered in 2017. Today 300 aircraft are in operation across six continents.
Rotorcraft
Airbus Helicopters H145 Simulator Lands in U.S.
A Thales Airbus Helicopters H145 simulator has been installed at Helisim’s simulation center on the Airbus campus in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Rotorcraft
Rotor Leaders Stress Digital, Performance Advances
Tomorrow's rotorcraft could have systems updated in flight.
Rotorcraft
Columbia and Aurora Team On Vision System
Columbia Helicopters and Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences team to develop vision system for daylight firefighting.
Maintenance and Modifications
Heli-One Adds AW139 Main Gearbox Expertise
The additional capability from Leonardo comes after Heli-One added AW139 intermediate gearbox and tail gearbox capability last year.
Charter & Fractional
Wisk To Operate Autonomous eVTOL Air Taxis for Blade
Wisk Aero will supply and operate up to 30 of its eVTOLs for Blade Urban Air Mobility’s passenger transportation network.
Aircraft
eVTOLs Are Magnets for Investors, but Will They Be Cash Cows?
eVTOLs Are Magnets for Investors, but Will They Be Cash Cows?
Rotorcraft
With Halo Buy, Directional Eyes Urban Air Mobility Ops
Directional Aviation’s OneSky Flight has acquired Halo Aviation, adding another helicopter operation and laying the foundation for urban air mobility ops.
Airports
NBAA's Advanced Air Mobility Roundtable Lifts Off
NBAA has formed a new Advanced Air Mobility Roundtable as a forum to chart a course for the integration of AAM technologies into U.S. airspace.
Rotorcraft
Robinson Helicopter Logs 13,000th Delivery
Robinson has been manufacturing helicopters since 1979.
Rotorcraft
Bell Nears Final Fix for Cracked 505 Collectives
The company says it has enough stock of replacement collective sticks to cover the entire 505 fleet.
Rotorcraft
Bell Commercial Helo Deliveries Edge Higher in Q1
Those deliveries also pushed the company's revenue higher while profits were down from R&D spending on the Army's Future Vertical Lift programs.
Rotorcraft
Leonardo Opens $80M Philadelphia Training Center
The new Leonardo academy will be operated by Rotorsim, a joint venture between Leonardo and CAE.
Rotorcraft
Airbus Helicopters Orders Plunge 26 Percent
While Airbus Helicopters orders and deliveries drop, increasing service revenues improve the bottom line.
Rotorcraft
New Team, New Focus at MD Helicopters
MD Helicopters hopes improved customer support will make it a player again in the commercial helicopter market.
Engines
StandardAero Awarded Cert for LRUs, Accessories Repair
The company's Accessories Center of Excellence facilities are certified by Honeywell and Triumph Group for repair of helo and turboprop engine LRUs.
Rotorcraft
EASA Approves VR Device for Helicopter Flight Training
EASA approves VRM's VR flight simulation training device for the Robinson R22.
Rotorcraft
ASG: Dozens of Helicopters in Storage, Crates in China
China is still dominating sales of helicopter but more than 80 are in crates or in storage, raising concerns about the viability of the market, ASG said.
Rotorcraft
Airbus Fitting Helicopter Flightlab With Autonomous Capability
Airbus plans complete demonstration of autonomous helicopter Flightlab in 2023.
Rotorcraft
UK Rotorcraft Show Gets Refresh for 2021
Helitech 2021 is set to return to the ExCeL convention center on October 5 and 6, featuring more than 300 exhibitors, a live fly-in, and some 100 seminars.
Avionics
Hill Unveils Digital Cockpit for HX50 Helicopter
Hill's HX50 digital cockpit is designed to minimize pilot workload.
Rotorcraft
Leonardo Helicopters Rebrands Kopter SH09 as the AW09
With AW09 service entry projected for early 2024, Leonardo is making plans to work on a hybrid-electric helicopter in the second half of the decade.
Aircraft
Airbus Conducts Helicopter Refueling Trials with A400M Airlifter
The latest test campaign has achieved most of the objectives required to clear the A400M to refuel helicopters in flight.
Regulations and Government
NASA Helicopter Flies on Mars
Ingenuity becomes the first aircraft to conduct controlled, powered flight on another planet.
Rotorcraft
French Military Orders More Super Pumas
Purchase of eight more Airbus H225Ms is part of French government's sitmulus plan to aid the aerospace industry.
Engines
Airbus AStar Gets Power Boost
EASA has certified a 10 percent power upgrade for the Safran Arriel 2D engine in the Airbus Helicopters H125 single.
Rotorcraft
David Fox Receives Top Mx Honors from HAI
HAI recognized David Fox, who has a maintenance and training career spanning five decades, with its Maintenance Excellence Award.
Rotorcraft
Safran Moving Forward on Hybridization, SAF for Helos
Safran anticipates handing over the Aneto-1X engines mid-year for 2022 Airbus Helicopters Racer flight trials that will prove out an "eco mode."
Regulations and Government
Biden Offshore Wind Boost Could Trigger Helicopter Boon
The Biden administration has indicated that it is going all-in on offshore wind, particularly in the New York Bight.
Rotorcraft
Pandemic Spurs Airbus Helicopters Training Changes
Airbus Helicopters has enhanced its distance learning capabilities and is now making many of those permanent.
