Members Area
Username:

Problems logging in? Click here.

	AWARDS
	CALENDAR OF EVENTS
	DIRECTORS & OFFICERS
	HISTORY
	JOB OPPORTUNITIES
	KID'S PAGE
	LOCAL CHAPTER MEETINGS
	MEMBERSHIP
	NOVELTIES
	PUBLICATIONS
	VERTICAL FLIGHT FOUNDATION
	WWW LINKS

Honeywell Updates Chinook Cockpit

            The Netherlands Ministry of Defense has selected the Honeywell Defense and Space Helicopters Business unit in Albuquerque to provide an improved Avionics Control Management System (ACMS) for new and upgraded CH-47F (NL) Chinook helicopters.  Boeing has a production preparation agreement with the Royal Netherlands Air Force to upgrade 11 surviving RNLAF CH-47Ds to F-models and supply an unspecified number of new-build CH-47F (NL) aircraft. 

The Netherlands received the first of 13 Chinooks with the Honeywell ACMS in 1995.  The new system remedies component obsolescence issues and introduces an open system architecture based on a commercial-off-the-shelf operating system.  The new ACMS replaces the Integrated System Processor and Mission System Processor in the current architecture with VME system processors. 

            The original ACMS has four monochrome cathode ray tube displays – each 4.8 in. high by 6.5 in. wide -- for pilots to monitor and control mission and air vehicle subsystems.  The new package has four color 5 by 7 in. liquid crystal displays.   In addition, new Honeywell Electronic Flight Instrumentation displays present data in the same format as the old ones.  According to Honeywell director of business development Lonny Rakes, “The plan is to keep a similar interface with what they have so pilots who can fly the old configuration, with very little training, can fly both.” 

The new ACMS replaces the original Smiths Industries Control Display Units with BARCO CDUs, and introduces a larger-capacity Smiths data transfer system.  The enhanced navigation suite includes an embedded GPS receiver and a new Honeywell digital map that stores more waypoints.  Additional flight control modes give the crew reverse flight plans, waypoint hold functions, and other new functions.  Luis Gude, Honeywell senior program manager for heavy lift avionic systems says, “From an operator point of view, one of the things this ACMS brings is a very easy and simple user interface.”  Every display page is available with two keystrokes or less.  “We maintain the same user friendliness.  As you add more capabilities, that usually get harder and harder.”

The new Chinook ACMS will integrate the same Primus 700 weather radar, but Honeywell is near down-selecting a new Forward Looking Infrared sensor.  The CH-47F (NL) cockpit remains compatible with night vision goggles.

            The Dutch agreement covers planning and long-lead activities to support production.  Development of the new ACMS is underway at the Honeywell facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Integration into the CH-47F (NL) will take place at the Boeing Philadelphia facility.  Boeing and the Netherlands Defense Materiel Organization intend to execute the full production contract in 2006 with flight tests on the first production aircraft around July 2008 and first delivery by December 2008

             Honeywell plans to offer the modernized ACMS to Singapore, Greece, Taiwan, and other international CH-47 operators.  The open system architecture also promises easy integration with other platforms.

Bell Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter now ARH-70

            Though still awaiting a popular name, the US Army's new Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) is now officially designated the Bell ARH-70A.  The Army plans 368 ARH-70s to replace around 350 OH-58D Kiowa Warriors.  Bell Helicopter received the ARH System Development and Demonstration contract on July 29, 2005 and should fly the first of four YARH-70 SDD aircraft late this March.  A Limited User Test starting this August will initiate Low Rate Initial Production, and the First Unit Equipped is expected in September 2008.  Full-rate ARH production continues through 2013.

            The new armed scout will carry a FLIR Systems BriteStar II electro-optical gimbal with FLIR, color TV, laser rangefinder, and laser designator.  A two-screen Rockwell Collins Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) will be integrated with an H-76 ACE global navigation system, AN/ARC-231 and ARC-201D radios, Enhanced Position Location Reporting System, and Blue Force tracker.  Armament includes the 0.50 caliber GAU-19 or 7.62 mm GAU-17 multi-barrel guns, 70 mm rockets, and the AGM-114 Hellfire missile.  The ARH-70 aircraft survivability suite includes the AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System, ALE-47 countermeasures dispenser, and APR-39B(V)2 radar warning receiver.

            The RAH-70A is a derivative of the commercial Bell 407 helicopter with a 925 shp Honeywell HTS-900-2 turboshaft.  Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc. (AFS) is developing a fully integrated high-performance inlet barrier filter for the ARH and the similar commercial Bell 417 using dry media filter technology from Donaldson Company, Inc.  The dry media uses compressed air or an environmentally friendly cleaning solution and water to eliminate the time and
attention usually required to dry and re-oil sand and dust filters. 

Honeywell Outlook Sees Civil Helicopter Sales Grow 15% in Five Years 

The annual Honeywell Turbine-Powered Civil Helicopter Purchase Outlook projects deliveries in excess of 2,600 new civil-use helicopters from 2006 to 2010, driven in part by strong demand for light single and intermediate twin-engine aircraft offering newer technology.   The survey indicates corporate, emergency medical services (EMS) and law enforcement helicopters combined should account for more than 70% of all new civil rotorcraft sales during the five-year forecast period.

The 2006 Turbine Powered Civil Helicopter Outlook is based on Honeywell’s fourth-quarter 2005 customer expectations survey, an assessment of consensus forecasts, review of factory delivery rates and analysis of future new helicopter introductions. The 2006 outlook excludes military demand for civil helicopters resulting in a “pure” civil number.  This year’s Purchase Expectations Survey queried 995 chief pilots and flight department managers of companies operating nearly 2,800 helicopters worldwide. The survey detailed the types of aircraft operated and assessed specific plans to replace or add to the fleet with new aircraft..

Some key findings of the Outlook include:
• Civil helicopter deliveries were up 24% in 2005 and are likely to rise again in 2006, as helicopter manufacturers increase production to satisfy strong demand for new aircraft.
• Civil helicopter sales from 2006 to 2010 are predicted at least 15% greater than in the five-year period 2001 to 2005.
• Close to 6,000 new civil helicopter sales are projected during the 11-year period 2006 to 2016.

“Honeywell Aerospace’s survey work has identified engine power, safety/crashworthiness, useful load, aircraft price and direct operating costs as the top five criteria operators consider when selecting new helicopters,” said John Todd, Honeywell vice president, general aviation and helicopters. “The decision to acquire new helicopters is driven primarily by age of current aircraft and an operator’s desire for bigger cabins, more range, more power and better technology. Obviously, new model introductions help fuel that demand. OEMs report strong sales activity supporting our optimism about the long range prospects for helicopters in a growing global economy.”

In North America, law enforcement applications received 42% of all mentions this year, exceeding all other use segments. In the 2005 survey, law enforcement trailed EMS as the most frequently mentioned helicopter use segment, after a continuing two-year slide from almost 40% in 2003. Law enforcement operators anticipate that expected funds to purchase new helicopters for increased homeland defense and border patrol requirements will begin to materialize.

EMS applications fell to 24% of planned new purchases in North America from 31% in the 2005 survey. This area is now the second-highest end use category cited by the survey respondents for new helicopters in the region. Although total world interest in purchasing new helicopters for corporate use increased in the 2006 survey, planned corporate purchases in North America fell slightly to 13% of the total.

Purchase Expectations

The Honeywell worldwide survey of civil helicopter operators’ future purchase expectations indicates a strengthening of demand for new aircraft over the next five years. Purchase expectations rose about two points over the solid findings reported in 2005.  Over 80% of new purchases will replace older aircraft in the same size/capability and price class. Only about 16% of operators plan to trade up to more expensive and capable machines.

For the past five surveys, between 63 and 86% of all European purchase expectations have been for twin-engine models. This has been caused by regulations requiring twin-engine aircraft on flights over congested areas and other use limitations. This long-term trend shifted in this year’s survey, with single-engine models making a major comeback to 48% of expected purchases compared to a five-year average of around 30%.  

Unexpectedly strong demand for the AS350B3 in Europe appears to have been partially responsible for the shift in trend. Some European operators remarked that operating twin-engine helicopters is uneconomic in Europe. They also stated that they plan to switch back to single-engine craft, fly around areas requiring twins and work around the other limitations. It isn’t known if this is a short-term aberration or a new trend. In North America, where there are no current or pending regulations requiring twin-engine aircraft, over 70% of planned purchases are for single-engine aircraft. In Latin America, 65% of planned purchases are for single-engine models. Operator preferences in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania overwhelmingly favor twin-engine machines in an 80-20 ratio in the 2006 survey.

Demand By Region

North America continues to have the greatest demand for new helicopters, accounting for 43% of expected future purchases. Expectations increased in this year’s North American survey compared to last year, with most of the improvement traced to increased purchase plans for law enforcement applications, offsetting reduced expectations for EMS, corporate, offshore oil and television news. Aircraft age, cabin size, range/endurance, engine power, newer technology and more speed were the most frequently mentioned factors by North American operators as to their reasons for planning to purchase new aircraft.

Survey responses indicate that North America will purchase more light single-engine helicopters than any other region. On average, over 70% of future new aircraft purchases in this region are expected to be light singles.  No regulatory activity that would likely change this is on the horizon.

The survey showed a significant decline in European purchase expectations, slipping from an 18% fleet replacement/expansion rate in 2005 to 15% in 2006. Declines were concentrated in multi-engine machines compared to last year. Moving further beyond the implementation of the single-engine operations regulations in Europe, the spike in planned orders and deliveries of twin engine helicopters has softened and interest in less costly single-engine models appears to be improving. Still, 52% of five-year planned European purchases are for twin engine models.

Survey responses suggest that about 15% of the world’s new turbine-powered helicopter sales will occur in Europe during the forecast period, a reduction of about five points from the 2005 survey. European operators continue to cite regulatory requirements in force regarding the types of equipment that can be flown within populated areas as a significant factor in replacement demand. The sharp falloff in European expectations may be partly due to the lagged negative effect of the new, costly regulations on operators.

Aircraft age, cabin size and comfort, range, speed, new technology, versatility and the need for two engines were most frequently mentioned as reasons for planning a new European helicopter purchase. The corporate use category was most frequently mentioned by European respondents followed by utility, law enforcement and EMS.

On the basis of the percentage of fleet to be replaced or expanded, Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East together have maintained consistently high purchase expectations for the last four years. Operators in these regions expect to purchase helicopters equal to 20% of their current fleets during the next five years for replacement and fleet expansion. This compares to 15% in Europe, 21% in North America and 42% in Latin America. The survey predicts that over 16% of total world new helicopter sales over the next five years will be to customers in Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Middle East.

About 77% of future demand in these regions is expected to be for multi-engine craft. Operators cited aircraft age, fleet standardization, cabin size/comfort, hot and high capability, warranties, speed and power as key reasons for replacing current helicopters. In Asia/Oceania, nearly 27% of expected purchases will be for corporate applications, followed by EMS at 14% and offshore at 13%. In Africa/Middle East, corporate applications were most frequently mentioned at over 26%; however, unlike Asia/Oceania, the second most frequently cited use category is law enforcement, at 22%.

Latin American expectations increased very sharply in this year’s survey on top of strong improvement recorded in 2005. As a result, Latin America has vaulted from the lowest fleet replacement and expansion percentage of all world regions over recent years to the top of all regions again in 2006. Given the strong improvement in purchase expectations as a percentage of current fleet and despite the relatively smaller fleet in this region, the Latin American share of projected world new helicopter demand is now second only to that of the United States.

Latin America is expected to account for nearly 25% of expected five-year world demand for new helicopters, up nearly 11 points from the 2005 survey projection. Approximately 65% of expected new aircraft demand in the region is for single-engine helicopters. Aircraft age is the dominant reason for expecting to replace current aircraft with new ones.  The next most frequently mentioned reason was speed. Cabin size, support, operating costs, range and performance were also significant factors.

Latin American operators cited improved economic conditions, especially in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela. Both economic policies and oil revenues were mentioned as contributing to the improved outlook.

Demand By Size

Operators continue to express a strong preference for light single-engine helicopters in their purchase expectations, naming this class of aircraft 55% of the time, which is the same as a year ago. Popular helicopters within this class include the Bell 206 series and 407, Agusta A119, Eurocopter EC120, AS350/EC130 and MD500 and MD600 series. Regionally, the light single class is highly popular in North America, cited in over 70% of new purchase expectations. Latin American operators also reported a strong preference for this class of equipment with 65% of regional demand. In the European market, regulations requiring multi-engine aircraft limit the appeal of single-engine models. The historical five-year average share of planned single-engine purchases in this region has been 30%.

Purchase expectation groupings for new helicopters in the light multi-engine class are exemplified by the Bell 427 and 429, Eurocopter EC135, AS355, Agusta A109 series, and MD 902. Expectations for the future purchase of aircraft in this segment during the next five years rose moderately to just over 18% compared to 16% recorded last year.

The largest regional demand for light twins will be in Asia/Oceania, with a 37% projected share of total purchases. Demand for light twins remains small in North America (9% now versus 6% a year ago). Most of the twin-engine interest in North America is for the next largest intermediate class of aircraft, reflecting a desire for more payload, speed and range.

New intermediate twin-engine helicopters as a class received strong purchase expectations, ranking second behind light single-engine craft in share of buyer interest at about 25%. This is the same result as last year and reflects the very strong appeal this segment holds based on the balance of payload, cabin space, power, range and speed. The most popular models mentioned included the Bell 412, and 430 models as well as the Eurocopter BK117/EC145, AS365 series, the EC155, the Sikorsky S-76 and Agusta/Bell AB139.

Single or multi-engine heavy lift helicopters continue to exhibit relatively low purchase expectation scores relative to the other classes of aircraft, with share of mentions falling to 1.6% in this year’s survey from 4% in 2005. As discussed in previous outlooks, this low level of demand is to be expected, both as a function of higher prices for larger helicopters as well as the more narrowly defined applications such craft typically serve. Additional demand for this class of aircraft often comes from governmental or para-public sources that the Honeywell survey may not reach. Geographically, the bulk of projected demand for heavy helicopters is concentrated in Asia, with a 13% share of worldwide demand, and Europe with nearly 2% of buying plans focused on this equipment class.

Demand by Application

Corporate and law enforcement remained the leading applications for which operators said they would purchase new helicopters in the 2006 survey. The corporate segment, the largest use category, totaled 31% of the projected new turbine helicopter sales. Substantial demand exists for new corporate use helicopters in all world regions. Over half of all demand in Latin America is for corporate use, followed by Europe at 43%, Asia/Oceania at 27%, Africa/Middle East at 26% and North America at 13%.

The second most frequently mentioned use category for new aircraft purchases was law enforcement applications, which rose to 25% of total demand from 13% in the 2005 survey.  Fully 88% of world demand for law enforcement helicopters is in North America, Latin America and Africa/Middle East.

 Expectations for the purchase of new helicopters for EMS usage fell from 22% of total demand last year to 14% in 2006. The largest drop in demand occurred in Europe, where expectations fell from 36% in 2005 to less than 8% in 2006.

Expected demand for utility helicopters fell from 15% of the total in 2005 to 11% in 2006. The highest expected demand for utility helicopters was measured in Latin America with about 25% of expected total future purchases in the region. European operators’ interest in acquiring new utility helicopters grew from 10% of planned purchases in 2005 to 19% in 2006. There does not appear to be any market for utility helicopters in the Africa/Middle-East region.

The offshore oil production and exploration segment’s share of new aircraft was 8% compared to the 2005 survey level of 10%. Regional interest in new helicopters for this industry continues to be highest in Africa/Middle-East at 17% of that region’s demand. Additionally, Latin America was measured at 14% followed by Asia/Oceania at 13%. Demand in Europe and North America is negligible.