Aiming for Blue Skies

Airbus Helping to Reduce Aviation Footprint

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Airbus is doing all it can to reduce the environmental footprint made by the international aviation industry.

Its efforts hinge mainly on research and development of the 4D (i4D) concept that is key to the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) project, and which aims to make airspace more connected and the skies more efficient.

A major target of SESAR is to reduce fuel burn – and therefore the aviation industry’s footprint – by optimizing traffic sequencing, improving management of arrivals and departures, and increasing airspace capacity in general. This, in turn, will also enhance safety factors.

How the i4D Concept Can Reduce the Footprint of Aviation

Essentially, the i4D concept will enable aircraft to adapt trajectory and speed in-flight automatically so that they get to a specific position at an appropriate time. In practical terms, this will reduce or possibly even eliminate the holding time aircraft inevitably spend in the skies around airports waiting for landing slots.

This would result in “a huge revolution” in terms of management of air traffic, says Airbus ATM Engineering’s Data Link and FMS Manager, Jérôme Condis. Noting that Airbus is in a position to be able to play a significant role in SESAR, he says Airbus aims to leverage its expertise as a leading manufacturer pioneering technological breakthroughs to help improve the management of air traffic. It will also exploit its reputation as a world leader in the industry to encourage other stakeholders to reduce aviation’s environmental footprint.

Airbus Role in SESAR

Airbus has supported evaluation of the Extended Project Profile (EPP) of SESAR, which, according to Airbus ATM Engineering’s SESAR Demonstration Project Coordinator, Jean-Louis Bigot is a “key technological brick in 14D.” He describes it as the vital link between air to ground aircraft trajectory information which is achieved using an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C).

Amongst other things, Airbus piloted about 60 test flights for the preliminary evaluation of the EPP system.

The next step is to integrate this EPP trajectory information into much bigger air traffic management systems so that controllers can sequence traffic at specific “waypoints,” says Bigot.

The Way Forward for Airbus and SESAR

The second phase of SESAR was launched in 2016 and will continue until 2020 in line with airline conditions that are described in the Demonstration of ATM Improvements Generated by Initial Trajectory Sharing (DIGITS) Project. According to Bigot:

  • DIGITS will continue to focus on establishing a ground infrastructure that will integrate EPP information in air traffic control operations until 2019. This will incorporate certification for the infrastructure.
  • Late 2018, the Project will begin equipping commercial aircraft for real-time exchange of EPP data. By the end of 2019 it is hoped that about 100 airliners will be fitted with the new equipment.

So by 2020, the i4D concept will be a reality!

Airbus Parts and Parts Service

Of course the quality of Airbus parts and parts service remain as important as ever. If you have parts needs for your aircraft, do not hesitate to contact Prime Industries or to search our inventory online.

International Aviation Industry Trying to Reduce CO2 Emissions

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Leading commercial manufacturer of aircraft, Airbus has welcomed the first ever scheme for international aviation that aims to reduce carbon offsetting.

international_civil_aviation_organization_logo-svgSeen as a key pillar in the longstanding climate action plan for the aviation industry, the agreement was reached at the recent International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) recent assembly meeting in Montreal, Canada.

The global agreement – a Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) – has significant historic importance and is recognized as the most effective solution for the whole industrial sector to manage its carbon footprint.

According to the director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Alexandre de Juniac, the new agreement will ensure that the social and economic contributions made by the aviation industry will be matched with “cutting-edge efforts” in terms of sustainability. He said that aviation would remain at the forefront of the industries committed to combating climate change, and would continue to be a “catalytic driver of social development and economic prosperity.” Ultimately, it would ensure that the world was a better place, he said.

How CORSIA Will Work

The terms of the new agreement are set to start rolling in 2021 with a voluntary period that will continue until 2026. Thereafter the agreement will become mandatory. So far at least 65 of !CAO’s 191 members have agreed to participate in the initial voluntary phase of CORSIA.

At the same time, it is widely recognized that CORSIA on its own won’t lead to a sustainable future for the aviation industry. As Airbus points out, it will need to run alongside significant technology improvements including sustainable fuels, as well as efficient operations and infrastructure improvements across the board.

However, in addition to the new long-term global market agreement to reduce carbon offset for the aviation industry, the industry as a whole is committed to continuing with an already-in-place four-pillar strategy against climate change by:

  1. Improving technology including using low-carbon fuels that are sustainable
  2. Ensuring that aircraft operations are more efficient
  3. Working towards improving infrastructure including modernization of air traffic management systems
  4. Mobilizing a single global market measure that will fill the remaining emissions gap

Airbus Commitment to International Efforts to Reduce the Carbon Footprint

Airbus has confirmed its commitment to the original four-pillar strategy as well as the new agreement and continues to deliver the most fuel-efficient aircraft in the world today.

Prime Industries supports Airbus by continuing to supply and repair parts and components for their fixed-wing airplanes and helicopters. Let us know what you need and we’ll do whatever we can to assist you.

Airbus H175 Helicopters Tested for Public Service Use

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Airbus Helicopters has begun testing its public service, medium-sized, twin-engine H175 helicopter (previously known as the Eurocopter EC175) that has been modified for public service use. The company has announced that the first 12 flight-tests were a success and that a new campaign of testing will start in December 2016.

The launch customer for the public service variant of the H175 is the Hong Kong Government’s Flying Service (GFS) that has ordered seven helicopters. These are scheduled for entry into service late next year (2017).

Controller head of GFS, Captain Michael Chan said he was very happy to have the opportunity to fly the H175 in a public service configuration. Praising its high power margin and excellent hovering capability, he said the H175 was ideal for search and rescue (SAR) missions over both land and sea. He was particularly impressed with the human machine interface (HMI) of the helicopter that significantly improves flight safety and also reduces pilot workload during complicated search and rescue operations.

 The Airbus H175 Helicopter

airbus-h175-prime-industries

The H175, launched in 2016, was designed with support from helicopter operators and various oil companies. A record-setter in several ways, it has established time-to-climb records of 3,000 m in just three minutes ten seconds, and 6,000 m in six minutes 54 seconds.

The H175 has a high-power margin that enables it to perform “performance class 1” takeoffs and landings at maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) in ISA+20 °C conditions from a 70 ft high (about 21 m) platform.

It provides the best payload range per passenger/radius of action (ROA) in the medium class helicopter category and is able to operate at full payload in oil and gas industry missions. When configured for oil and gas industry use, the helicopter can fly:

  • Close to 200 nautical miles ROA with 12 passengers aboard
  • 140 nautical miles ROA with 16 passengers aboard
  • 105 nautical miles ROA with 18 passengers

In addition to its long range, the H175 delivers a particularly smooth ride and offers exceptionally good cabin comfort. Sound levels and vibration are very low even when the aircraft is moving at a high cruise speed.

The rotorcraft can be configured for search and rescue with:

  • SAR operators’ consoles
  • Cabin-mounted medical equipment
  • An external winch
  • Oversized bubble observer windows
  • Search and weather radar
  • Side-mounted searchlights
  • Up to six under-fuselage lights as well as main- and tail-rotor lighting

In this configuration, it can hover at ISA+20 °C up to an altitude of 5,800 ft, and maintain its hover flight or rate of climb above 500 ft per minute in these conditions at sea level.

It can also perform exceptionally safe hoists for a long time with the possibility of extending power for as long as 30 minutes continuously. Power can be extended cumulatively, for up to 50 minutes, during a single flight.

The H175 has a spacious cabin that is almost four meters long. Its full, flat floor has big sliding doors on both sides and direct access to the rear cargo compartment. This facilitates the use of stretchers for SAR and speeds up operations in general.

The new GFS helicopters will incorporate an electro-optical system that will be used for tracking and observation, as well as an enhanced digital map display. Both may be managed from a console in the cabin. They will also feature steerable searchlights, loudspeakers, and dual hoists.

While this is a new addition to the Airbus Helicopters fleet, there are already close to 12,000 helicopters that are operated worldwide in 154 countries. Prime Industries has a large inventory of parts for all the major Airbus Helicopters models and helps customers find parts they don’t have in stock. Contact us today to discuss your needs.

Airbus Continues to Reduce VOC Emissions

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As Airbus expands and improves its product line, the company is focusing on making aircraft that are more fuel efficient, quieter and more environmentally friendly than ever before.

Since 2006, Airbus has reduced volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by nearly 30 percent in Europe alone. This is part of its Blue5 initiative that is striving for improved environmental performance by maximizing the use of eco-efficient technologies and processes at its production sites worldwide.

The Airbus Blue5 Initiative

Blue5 is an initiative that aims to make manufacturing as sustainable as possible. Working according to a five-pronged plan it is committed to:

  1. VOC EmissionsSaving energy by reducing energy consumption across the board
  2. Saving water by making better use of global water resources
  3. Reducing waste by recycling materials where possible
  4. Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through innovation
  5. Reducing harmful VOC emissions by eliminating them at source

The company has made substantial headway in all five environmental areas, using several aircraft to benchmark its achievements. For instance, the spacious and luxurious A380, introduced in 2007, has become the yardstick for low noise levels and fuel efficiency. New-generation jets including the wide-body A350 XWB and the new engine option A320neo, are pushing the envelope even further.

The A350 XWB, introduced less than two years ago, in January 2015, boasts 25 percent lower fuel consumption to its aluminum long-range competitors. The A320neo, which had its maiden flights with different engines in September 2014 and May 2015, is faster than any other jet, and it can cruise at an altitude of up to 39,000 feet.

Airbus Commitment to Reduce VOC Emissions

Once VOCs have been produced, they are extremely expensive, difficult and time consuming to deal with. This is why it’s vital to tackle reduction at source. Not only is this a good environmental solution, but it also helps to reduce potential health risks that could affect humans for a long time.

Statistics released by Airbus show that between 2006 and 2014 VOC emissions based on revenue were reduced by 54.1 percent, and absolute VOC emissions were reduced by 22.9 percent.

The first Airbus production sites to take definitive steps to reduce VOC emissions are all based in Europe. All have focused on specific programs. For example:

  • Production sites in Getafe and Puerto Real in Spain have replaced the high VOC methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) with low and zero VOC cleaners.
  • The site in Hamburg, Germany has adopted the use of encapsulated spray guns for spot repairs of fuselages in the structure assembly.
  • The site in Broughton, UK has replaced the use of high-solids primers with water-based primers to reduce VOC emissions.
  • Various French sites have focused on new painting technologies using water-based and low VOC paints.

Replacement of MEK

MEK is a very high VOC product that has largely been replaced by Diestone DLS in liquid form and in wipes used to clean aircraft before sealing. Using wipes results in a decrease of the amount of cleaner used, and because they are packaged in small canisters, unnecessary VOC evaporation is avoided.

In Spain Airbus has gone a step further, and has substituted DLS with A8284, which is a zero VOC product. Initially delivered in liquid form and dispensed in bottles, it is being replaced gradually with wipes at both Getafe and Puerto Real sites.

Airbus reports that the Puerto Real production site has reduced VOC emissions by 1.4 tonnes annually, and the Getafe site by an estimated 3.5 tonnes annually.

Encapsulated Spray Guns Used for Spot Repairs

Spot repairs on aircraft don’t need much paint, and by introducing lightweight encapsulated spray guns, the Hamburg site has reduced its paint wastage by about 90 percent. The guns weigh only 8 kg and have a holding capacity of just 200 ml.

Since a smaller quantity of cleaning products is required for the new spray guns, VOC emissions during the cleaning process have been reduced by 80 percent. A further reduction in VOC vapors takes place via direct suction at source when the guns are in use.

Replacement of High-Solids Primers

The Broughton site is set to reduce VOC emissions by about 3 tonnes a year, by using water-based primers and topcoats instead of high solids paints in its component manufacturing paint booths.

The paint plant has been modified and electrostatic spray equipment optimized for water-based products, introduced. Modifications to mixing and recirculation equipment are being implemented.

New Painting Technologies

The French VOC reduction program has been hugely successful, with reports of a 51 percent drop in VOC emissions at French sites in general. This has been achieved by using:

  • new paint technologies
  • low VOC and water-based paints
  • a base coat/clear coat painting system
  • wipes that are pre-impregnated

The program also involves implementing a system that avoids solvent evaporations and uses new technologies for cleaning painting tools, as well as use of a solvent recycler.

Prime Industries Sells Airbus Parts

Prime Industries is an ISO 9001:2008 certified FAA AC 00-56A compliant company that supplies, repairs and overhauls aircraft parts and components for fixed-wing planes and helicopters. These include Airbus and other leading aircraft manufacturers. If you are in the market for Airbus parts or need help with Airbus maintenance, contact us for availability and pricing of parts.

Airbus Corporate Jet Features Best Cabin Ever

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It’s official: Airbus has produced a corporate jet with the best cabin of any business jet in use today.

An ACJ319, operated by the Austrian company MJet and used for charters, was on show at the recent business aviation Jet Expo in Moscow. Boasting the tallest, widest cabin of any business jet, it is aimed at customers wanting even more range and capacity than the widebody ACJ320 family of jets currently offers.

The jet on show was magnificent, and featured several open-plan luxury lounge areas at the front of the plane, as well as a bedroom with shower and en suite bathroom at the rear.

According to Airbus, the spacious and luxurious ACJ319 is already in “widespread service” with governments, companies and wealthy individuals throughout the world. Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers, John Leahy points out the importance of cabins in the business jet world, saying that the space, comfort and overall freedom of those flying in this Airbus corporate jet has to be experienced to be “truly appreciated.”

Apart from ultimate space and luxury, Airbus corporate jets are the most efficient and reliable in the business jet world. With what is an impressive heritage, these incredible flying machines deliver features that include:

  • ACJ319weight-saving carbonfiber,
  • cost-saving maintenance that is centralized,
  • advanced cockpits with leading-edge avionics, and
  • fly-by-wire controls that enhance integrity with flight envelope protection and handling qualities.

 

While these features are now regarded as standard in new aircraft built to operate in the business jet world, a “culture of innovation” sees Airbus constantly adding major improvements to its new aircraft. These improvements include new-generation engines as well as distinctive fuel-saving wingtip-mounted Sharklets that give Airbus corporate jets and commercial airliners a significant advantage.

The ACJ319neo (which offers the new engine option – neo) has a flying time of 15 hours and sufficient power to fly eight passangers 6,750 nm/12,500 km. The larger ACJ320neo has the ability to carry 25 passengers 6,000 nm/11,400 km. Because of their improved fuel efficiency and increased range, these planes are sometimes labelled as being “green.” Additionally the ACJneo turbofan engines have higher pressure ratios and improved aerodynamic flows which also contribute to reduced fuel consumption.

As well as the extra space offered in ACJ319neo and ACJ320neo jets, lower cabin altitude also enhances passenger comfort. So even when the aircraft are crusing at the highest altitude possible, the atmosphere is similar to that experienced on the ground.

And as if this isn’t impressive enough, Airbus also offers VIP versions of its widebody jets including the A350 which is billed as the world’s newest airliner. This amazing jet features carbonfiber wings and fuselage that are lightweight and cut down the maintenance required.

Overall, Airbus Corporate Jets aims to give its customers and operators tip top services that are tailored specifically their individual needs.

According to the company, there are more than 180 Airbus corporate jets in service, and they fly on every single continent, including Antarctica.

Airbus Parts and Service from Prime Industries

Prime Industries will supply, repair and service parts for all Airbus aircraft, including helicopters. Let us know what you need.

Innovative Airbus News Boasts Study to Reduce Noise in Flight

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When you’re flying in an aircraft, some noises are relatively easy to ignore, while others are deeply annoying. For this reason, Airbus is doing all it can to make all its new aircraft cabins as quiet as possible.

In Airbus news released online earlier this month (August 2016), the company stated that it was using a highly innovative “representative fuselage segment” that is able to proximate an A320-sized plane. The A320 “family” of aircraft are single-aisle jetliners that are used all over the world for both intercontinental flights and short hauls.

Originally launched in 1984, the A320 has been improved continuously ever since. The aircraft already boasts advanced technology including:

  • Noise ReductionWeight-saving composites
  • An ultra-efficient optimized wing design
  • Centralized fault display the improves troubleshooting and decreases Airbus maintenance costs
  • Fly-by-wire flight controls that improve safety and reduce the workload for pilots

The pioneering noise reduction study aims to make Airbus cabins of the A320 family and other Airbus aircraft, “the quietest and most comfortable in the sky.”

Acoustic Laboratory for Noise Testing

The resource Airbus is using for the new study is an acoustic laboratory based in Hamburg, Germany that uses a new test platform supplied by the Center for Applied Aviation Research (ZAL). Considered a mammoth breakthrough in noise testing, they are able to achieve what previously could only be evaluated during test flights, or by studying isolate components.

The ZAL acoustic chamber has the capacity to accommodate fuselage “demonstrators” that are up to 15 meters long and eight meters high, including Airbus widebody products, specifically the A350 XWB and A330. These large Airbus aircraft have twin-aisles, and offer superior efficiency and comfort. They also use 25 percent less fuel than other aircraft, which is great Airbus news for operators. Given the company’s mission to make their aircraft quieter, demand will only continue to grow.

Airbus News Reveals How Their Craft Will Become Quieter Than Ever

The 8.5 m-long ZAL Airbus fuselage demonstrator currently in use in Hamburg has been designed specifically to replicate engine noise. The way it works is that the demonstrator is subjected to sound waves around the circumference of the fuselage through a series of 128 speakers, each of which can be individually controlled.

Because the lab is able to accurately reproduce the conditions that apply when the aircraft is in flight, researchers are able to examine ways of reducing noise in the aircraft cabin without having to do expensive test flights. The acoustic chamber they have set up also allows them to do detailed comparisons using “real-world physics” together with simulation models.

According to one of the project co-leaders, Henning Scheel, the research teams are focusing on pinpointing:

  • Where noise enters aircraft cabins
  • How noise is spread once it has entered the cabin
  • And also how noise is transmitted

Once they have this information, they will be able to determine how background noise in the cabin can be reduced. Ideas they are exploring include:

  • Making minor structural adaptations
  • Changing the form of insulation used
  • Using new materials that absorb noise more successfully in certain frequency ranges; these include embedded vibration dampers

According to Scheel’s co-leader Martin Wandel, the demonstrator will also significantly shorten development cycles for new solutions to minimize noise. He said that once the initial fuselage mock-up has been investigated thoroughly, the research team would work on interior cabin components. Later on there would be tests undertaken in the acoustic lab using “passengers.”

Prime Industries and Airbus

Prime Industries is an FAA AC 00-56A compliant and ISO 9001:2008 certified company that specializes in the supply, repair and overhaul of aircraft components and parts for helicopters and fixed-wing planes. These include Airbus and other leading aircraft manufacturers. So if you require Airbus parts or assistance with Airbus maintenance, we can help.

New customers are welcome to contact us for availability and pricing of parts, or to view our current inventory.

The Most Famous WWII Aircraft

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During World War II, military aircraft played a major role when it came to bombing the enemy and fighting in the air. Since then, in addition to the role they play for civilian transportation, aircraft have continued to play a central part in wars and military activities.

But incredibly, it was not much more than a century ago that the world’s first aircraft – including military aircraft – was produced.

The First Military Aircraft

WWII AircraftBuilt by the world-famous Wright Brothers, the very first military plane was sold to the US army in 1909. Used to train pilots for a couple of years, it was retired before the breakout of WWI in 1914. However this war was the first major conflict where aircraft did in fact play a major role.

Initially aircraft were used primarily for reconnaissance, but it didn’t take long for engineers to design bombers, fighters fitted with machine guns, and ground-attack planes.

A large number of the WWI aircraft were biplanes mostly made of fabric and wood.

Impact of Aircraft in WWII

Air strikes were a major feature of World War Two, with the major powers, including Germany, Japan, the UK and the US, all developing powerful new military aircraft. Sleek, relatively lightweight aluminum airframes and powerful piston engines soon became the norm, though it didn’t take long for jet engines with no propellers to begin to supercede these.

So as the war intensified, the Germans rained bombs down over Britain, which prompted the British to improve its own military air power, at the same time introducing new radar technology. After the Battle of Britain, which was fought in the air, the Germans were forced to change their own war planes dramatically in an attempt to regain supremacy. They also developed guided missiles, as did the US, although to a lesser extent.

The large bombers that were produced towards the end of World War Two played an indispensable role in ending the war, particularly the huge US B-29s that dropped atomic bombs on the cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan towards the end of the war in 1945.

Famous WWII Aircraft

Hundreds of aircraft played a role in World War Two including many manufactured in various countries by companies that continue to produce leading civilian and military aircraft today. They include (in alphabetical order) Beechcraft, Bell, Boeing, Hawker, Kawasaki, Lockheed, Mitsubishi, Sikorsky, and Yakovlev. A number of companies manufacturing military aircraft during WWII, including Focke-Wulf, became predecessor companies of what is today the huge Airbus Group; others were merged into the British Aerospace group’s BAE Systems.

In spite of the many aircraft that were produced during the war, the most famous WWII aircraft are limited to a handful. These include:

  • The iconic German Messerschmitt Bf 109 that was a single-seat “multirole” fighter plane based on a design (the Bf 108) that had been developed as a sport and touring plane. Introduced into the German Luftwaffe (Air force) in 1937, the Bf 109 was considered for years to be the best aircraft fighter in the world.
  • The German Focke Wulf 190, another formidable airborne weapon that was used as a fighter and fighter-bomber, for torpedo bombing, and to intercept ground attacks. Introduced just two years into the war, in August 1941, it’s superb design compelled the British to improve its own Spitfires. Chuck Yeager, the legendary American aviation pioneer, flew an Fw 190 after the war, and said it was the only aircraft that matched the legendary US P-51D Mustang.
  • The Supermarine Spitfire that was the champion British warplane and undoubtedly the most famous WWII aircraft originating from that country. Developed prior to the war, Spitfires in general are regarded as one of the best fighter aircraft ever. The Spitfire IX, produced from 1942, was Britain’s answer to the Fw 190, to which it proved to be a superior match, especially in the Battle of Britain.
  • The US North American P-51 Mustang, which is the most celebrated US fighter plan of WWII. While America entered the war rather late, only after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the P-51 Mustang was flown by British pilots from May that same year. Described as a “classic warbird,” the P-51s were fitted with machine guns. While able to attack ground targets, typically outperforming any and all German fighters, they were mostly used to escort bombers on “long range sorties.”
  • The US Boeing B-29 Superfortress that was a strategic long-range, high-altitude, heavy bomber aircraft used from 1943. Developed specifically to meet US Army Air Corps needs, it could fly long and high at around 400 miles an hour, and provided a virtually untouchable bombing platform. The two most infamous B-29s were Enola Gay, used to carry the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, and Bock’s Car (or Bockscar), used for the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki the same day.

There were many other Boeing aircraft used during WWII including the Boeing P-26 Peashooter, a monoplane fighter, the Boeing F4B/P-12, a pursuit fighter, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, a heavy bomber aircraft that was the predecessor to the B-29, and the Boeing 314 Clipper (C-98) a long-range flying boat aircraft.

Interestingly, both Enola Gay and Bockscar were built in Nebraska by the Glenn L. Martin Company (now Lockheed Martin). The Lockheed Corporation, which merged with Martin Mariette to form Lockheed Martin in 1995, manufactured a number of quite famous WWII aircraft. These included the single-seat L-133 Starjet jet-powered fighter; the P-38 Lightning and P-80/F-80 Shooting Star, both heavy fighter-bombers; the PV-1 Ventura/PV-2 Harpoon patrol bomber; and the Lockheed XP-58 Chain Lightning, a high-altitude interceptor also used for close air support.

Prime Industries Offers Airbus, Boeing, and Lockheed Parts and Service

While there aren’t many famous WWII aircraft still in flight today, Prime Industries offers new and overhauled parts for Boeing, Lockheed, Airbus and other well-known brands of plane and helicopter. The company’s clients include government and military agencies, as well as businesses and individuals. Whether you have a routine order or need critical low stock urgently, we will do whatever we can to help.

Military Airbus Helicopters With HForce on Track for Release in 2017

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Development of a military Airbus Helicopter H225M equipped with the HForce weapon system is on track for release at the end of next year (2017), the Airbus Group has announced.

The HForce Weapon System

The first stage of firing tests was completed early June using HForce, which is described as a “generic weapon system.” The system, which has been tested for more than five months, is an innovative one that includes a number of important Airbus Helicopter parts for use with Airbus Helicopters H225M:

  • HForceA central core unit
  • Thales’ Scorpion monocular helmet mounted sight display (HMSD)
  • A Wescam-manufactured electro-optical system (EOS)
  • Gunner ammunition or armament weapon pods and weapon grips

According to an Airbus Group statement, the firing “campaign” or tests took place between May 25 and June 3 this year, on a safe range in some part of Belgium. This gave Airbus Helicopters the opportunity to demonstrate how the HForce-equipped H225M helicopters were able to perform using ballistic weapons.

During the firing campaign, 70 mm size rockets, 20 mm size cannons, and 12.7 mm guns were used. HForce program manager, Jean-Luc André described the campaign as an important milestone that was achieved in the time allowed. He said the results surpassed expectations and were above the required specifications. Ultimately, the results provided significant added value for tracking targets and for the procurement of day and night missions.

The HForce project was launched just over two years ago as an affordable plug and play system to manage weapons that can be added to incrementally. It was designed to cater for the defense agencies requirements worldwide that need to add light attack mission capabilities to existing fleets of specialized helicopters designed for attack.

HForce can be fitted to any of the Airbus Helicopters commercial range of aircraft – the H125M, H145M, and of course the H225M.

The company, which is a division of the Airbus Group, is well known for its highly efficient civil and military helicopters worldwide. There are currently an estimated 12,000 helicopters in service, operated in 154 countries by more than 3,000 Airbus customers.

Airbus H225M Helicopters

Originally developed as the Eurocopter EC725 Caracal, and introduced in 2005, Airbus Helicopters H225M is ideal for troop transport, combat search and rescue, and casualty evacuation. Used in many crisis areas including Afghanistan and Lebanon, it is operated from both land and ships, and flies in all weather conditions. It has a 700 nautical mile range that can be extended by air-to-air refueling. A high-performance machine that can take off in less than five minutes, the H225M travels at high speed and gets to its destination quickly. It was designed with survivability a key factor, and has a reinforced structural mail frames, as well as landing gear capable of absorbing energy, and both self-sealing and “crashworthy” fuel tanks.

Airbus Helicopter Parts and Airbus Helicopter Maintenance

Of course Airbus Helicopters makes Airbus Helicopter parts and undertakes Airbus Helicopter maintenance. However there are times when customers, particularly those with older aircraft, need parts and service that they cannot get directly from Airbus.

US-based Prime Industries specializes in the supply of Airbus Helicopter parts as well as parts for other aircraft, including other Airbus craft, Boeing, and Lockheed. The company also specializes in the repair and overhaul of Airbus Helicopter parts and components, and has an extensive inventory of new, repaired, and overhauled parts.

So if you need Airbus Helicopter parts or assistance with Airbus Helicopter maintenance, contact us for pricing and availability.

Airbus Helicopter Parts in High Speed Clean Sky 2 will Reduce Environmental Footprint

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The pre-design phase of Airbus Helicopters’ uniquely innovative new helicopter design is complete, paving the way for a highly efficient, sustainable, high-speed rotary-wing aircraft. The pre-design phase is the project’s first official milestone. This phase involved tests of a high-speed demonstrator that has been whizzing through wind tunnels as part of its contribution to the European Clean Sky-2 Low Impact, Fast & Efficient RotorCraft (LifeRCraft) research program.

The initial success of the LifeRCraft and its component Airbus Helicopter parts means that preliminary reviews of a prototype design will likely take place before the end of this year (2016). Flight-testing of the helicopter prototype is scheduled for 2019.

About the Clean Sky Initiative

Airbus Helicopter Parts in High Speed Clean Sky 2 will Reduce Environmental FootprintClean Sky, launched in 2008, is a hugely ambitious aeronautical research program that involves a joint technology initiative (JTI) between the European Commission and the aviation industry, including Airbus, the Airbus Group, and Airbus Helicopters. The JTI has its sights set on developing “breakthrough technologies” that will significantly increase the environmental performance of air transport in general, ultimately aiming at fuel-efficient aircraft with reduced emissions, and aircraft that are less noisy, in this way reducing their acoustic footprint.

The role of Airbus Helicopters in this undertaking is profound, and the company sees it as the opportunity to become “the benchmark of the rotorcraft industry.”

While the initiative is based in Europe, Airbus Helicopters, Inc. is the US affiliate of Airbus Helicopters, a subsidiary of Airbus Group, and the largest rotorcraft manufacturer in the world. This means that more Airbus Helicopter parts are made in the US than anywhere else in the world. The country is also an important hub for Airbus Helicopter maintenance.

About the Clean Sky 2 Demonstrator

According to the chief technical officer of Airbus Helicopters, Jean-Brice Dumont, the Clean Sky 2 Demonstrator is not just part of an exercise in making aircraft go faster, it is also about making speed smarter. To do this, the company is looking for the best trade-off between mission, cost-efficiency and sustainability.

Dumont says the company wants to break the cost barrier that is usually associated with increased range and speed, paving the way for “new mission sets” planned for 2030 and beyond. Ultimately, this will make it possible to provide critical rapid response emergency services more efficiently, offering crucial improvements for search and rescue, medical evacuation, disaster relief and so on.

The Clean Sky 2 program manager, Ron van Manen, has highlighted the important benefits of the LifeRCraft Demonstrator Project to the public, stating that it can bring a “fundamentally new” combination of speed, range and payload to the aviation market. He has also said it will strengthen Europe’s “formidable competitive position in the vertical life aviation sector.”

Since Airbus Helicopters and its component Airbus Helicopter parts are found in at least 154 countries worldwide, it’s not just Europe that will benefit. The very fact that the Clean Sky 2 project is addressing existing technological gaps in everything from systems and structures to overall design demonstrates its universal value.

Prime Industries

US-based Prime Industries specializes in the supply, repair and overhaul of Airbus Helicopter parts and can help with the needs of those doing Airbus Helicopter maintenance. Whether you’re looking for airframe components, retables, landing gear, ground support equipment, accessories, or any other equipment or compounds for Airbus Helicopter models currently in flight, contact Prime Industries for professional assistance.

Plans for Robots to Paint Airbus Helicopter Parts

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Airbus Helicopters has announced plans to use robots to paint Airbus Helicopter parts and do other repetitive tasks. The company plans to use a “new generation of humanoid robots” to do this, with the robots imitating “what they see,” rather than being autonomous.

Initially they will start using robots to paint primary Airbus Helicopter parts like the rotor hub, as well as some quite complex markings and decorations on their aircraft.

The company introduced its first robotic applications in 2015, and has said that it will continue to release additional robotic applications “every year or so.” However there is no plan to replace humans with robots. Rather, it is planned that robots will automate “high-volume repetitive activities” allowing people to focus on other important tasks.

According to Georges-Eric Moufle who heads Airbus Helicopters’ Aeronautical Factory of the Future project, robots will allow them to optimize the “finishing painting workflow” with “low energy consumption.” He further describes this workflow as a process that starts with preparation of the aircraft’s green surface and ends with curing of the final topcoat of paint.

Ultimately, the use of robots for painting Airbus Helicopter parts will help the company “optimize weight and cycle savings,” says Moufle.

The Role of Robots in Airbus Group’s Factory of the Future

Airbus Helicopter PartsAccording to Airbus robotics expert, Adolfo Suarez Roos, the company aims to develop robots that will be able to interact safely with humans and will be able to adapt to unexpected situations. It was working through the ICARO project to do this, he said.

ICARO (Increase of CAR Occupancy) is a European transport research project that was originally launched in 1997 to develop car-pooling policies in an endeavor to increase car occupancy rates in EU countries.

In a joint interview with Suarez Roos in 2014, Chrisoph Borst, head of autonomy and teleoperation at the German Aerospace Center’s Institute of Robotics and Mechantronics said that for 15 years they had been developing motion capabilities of robots. The next stage was to include human workers, and develop language that would enable them to work with robots. Since the process of human thinking is “really complicated,” he said they would start with relatively simple interactions and cited human collaborations with dogs as an example.

Since Airbus produces on average 1.5 aircraft every day, Suarez Roos said they needed to program robots to do tasks that last several hours.

In addition to painting Airbus Helicopter parts, the company is planning to get robots to do waterproofing tests on doors, windows and fuselages. Robots would be programed to track each bit of these various Airbus Helicopter parts, listening for noises that might indicate leaks of any sort in the airframe. They are also reportedly looking at using robots to increase automation when manufacturing the skin of helicopter blades.

Prime Industries Role in Provision of Airbus Helicopter Parts

While US-based Prime Industries doesn’t have any plans to employ robots in the foreseeable future, the company does offer new, repaired and overhauled Airbus Helicopter parts, as well as parts for Airbus planes, Lockheed and Boeing. Prime Industries also offers Airbus Helicopter maintenance services.

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