HelicoptersDutch MDHI helicopter test started

Mesa, Arizona - Eight Explorers ordered

A Dutch National Police MD Explorer lifted off for the first time at MD Helicopters, Inc. in Mesa, Ariz. on March 26, launching a comprehensive flight test program that will culminate with delivery of... more

HelicoptersBell Helicopters and Malaysia Helicopter Service to open a new subsidiary

Subang, Malaysia - Is expected to be ready for the end of the year

Bell Helicopter and Malaysia Helicopter Service Sdn Bhd (MHS) will set up a regional customer service facility (CSF), in Subang airport, for the end of the year. The facility is aimed at providing a... more

HelicoptersAH-1Z And UH-1Y flight test program achieves major milestones

Washington, USA - Modernized version have high components commonality

The H-1 Upgrade Program will modify 100 UH-1N Huey and 180 AH-1W SuperCobra helicopters into highly sophisticated state-of-the-art aircraft with enormous commonality between both aircraft to enhance maintenance... more

HelicoptersCyprus receives ok for Mil Mi-26 purchase

Cyprus

According to a newspaper report, a Cypriot Justice Ministry committee will negotiate the price of the Russian giant helicopter Mil Mi-26 with the delegation of the Russian industry, for the acquisition... more

HelicoptersMexican Navy will use six MD Explorers against drug smugglers

Santiago, Cile - THe helicopters are heavily armed with machine-gun and rockets

Six armed MD Explorers and their trained crews are fully prepared to wreak havoc on drug traffickers operating in Mexican waters. The twin-engine MD Explorers are manufactured and supported by MD Helicopters,... more

HelicoptersDutch police on board of MD Explorer helicopters

Arizona, Usa - First test flights

Last March 26th the first MD Explorer aircraft destined to the Dutch National Police, took-off from Mesa MD Helicopters Inc. facilities, in Arizona. These tests will culminate in May with the final delivery... more

HelicoptersTurkey will lauch a new bid for helicopters

Ankara, Turkey - competition worth is 250 USDm

According to military sources, Turkey will launch, late this year or in early 2003, a new international tender worth nearly USD250m to buy eight heavy-lift helicopters to boost its Army's transport capabilities.... more

HelicoptersSikorsky: we don't had any competitor's information in the Irish competition

Dublin, Ireland - Declaration comes after Eurocopter's sue

In response to Eurocopter’s initiation of legal proceedings against it and the Irish government, Sikorsky has said it was "at no stage privy to any of our competitors' prices or any details o... more

HelicoptersEarthquake in Afghanistan: only air rescue teams reach hit area

Khabul, Afghanistan - Us war helicopters used in the operations

Northern Afghanistan, turned upside down by yesterday terrific earthquake, as far as roads have been destroyed, could be hardly reached via terrestrial links. Unites States and International coalition... more

HelicoptersUS Coast Guard ready to emit a competition for new anti-drug helicopters

USA - Is very important the experience made with Agusta A-109

According to a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman, it will release an competition specificaton to build a permanent fleet of drug busting helicopters by May or June, in order to have it ready, before the leasing... more

HelicoptersEurocopter invest 4 USDm for a new plant in Chile

French-German helicopter industry Eurocopter, a subsidiary of EADS, is investing USD4m to set up a new plant in Chile, that will provide repair & maintenance services to the domestic market and also... more

HelicoptersIsrael to buy 24 BlackHawk

Tel Aviv, Israel - The contract worth 212 USDm

The Israeli ministry of defense has decided to buy 24 Blackhawk helicopters from Sikorsky Aircraft for an order value of $211.8 million. The helicopters will be the S-55 A-70 model, and the first helicopter... more

HelicoptersLess problems for Apache's Hellfires

Washington, USA - "UK newspaper Daily Telegraph exaggerated risks"

According to a U.S,. Army spokesman, Apache Hellfire problems have been exaggerated by UK press. The Daily Telegraph said that the British Army’s new WAH-64 Apache Longbows cannot fire their Hellfire m... more

HelicoptersEurocopter sues Irish defense ministry

Dublin, Ireland - A unclear competition for new Irish helicopter

German-French helicopter industry Eurocopter has started legal action against the Irish Defence Minister, following the government's decision to assign to U.S. helicopter maker Sikorsky the victory for... more

HelicoptersUK Apaches experienced troubles with their Hellfires missiles

London, Great Britain - The helicopters and the missiles are U.S. made

Nine AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, in service in the UK Army, are not useable as the Hellfire missile, the main offensive weapon used by them, could provoke damage to the tail rotor with its ejection... more

HelicoptersAn unclear question in Irish helicopter deal

Dublin, Ireland - The position of the U.S. ambassador has to been defined

After that US firm Sikorsky was granted the Irish contract earlier this year, for the procurement of military helicopter for Irish defense, a deal worth 100 EURm, following a second tendering process by... more

HelicoptersThe Russian recover the gas helicopter project

Moscow, Russia - The first prototype was built in 1995

The Russian industry has entered the next phase in developing a prototype helicopter to use gas fuel to be the first in the world of its kind. In this project are involved the Moscow Mil Helicopter Plant... more

HelicoptersHAL interested to joint ventures for co-production of the new Indian light helicopter

New Delhi, India - The helicopter has been built by Hindustan Aeronautics

According to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited president, its firm in talks with private sector for co-production of ALH, Advanced Light Helicopter, and also plans to tap the export market for this new product. "We... more

HelicoptersNew Zealand to substitute all UH-1 Iroquois helicopters gearboxes

New Zealand - Decision taken after an accident in Timor

After an emergency landing of a UH-1 Iroquois helicopter of New Zealand Air Force, due to a gearbox failure, the government decided to change all gearboxes of these helicopters, at a cost of about 400.000... more

HelicoptersMalaysian fire department to buy two Agusta A-109 helicopters

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Order value in over 6 EURm

The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department ordered two Agusta A-109 Power helicopters, from Italian industry Agusta, a company of AgustaWestland, at the cost of over 6 Eur million, to boost its search and... more

HelicoptersRussian television shows the new Rostvertol attack helicopters prototype

Moscow, Russia

The Rostvertol Russia helicopter plant has started manufacturing a new military attack helicopter called MI-28N Night Hunter. The Rostov helicopter plant has also decided to finance the production of... more

HelicoptersCoast Guard's Agusta helicopters record success

USA

Since the arrival of eight MH-68 helicopter gunships, a military variant of the Italian-made Agusta 109E to the U.S. Coast Guard, the first results against drug-laden speedboats bound for U.S. shores have... more

HelicoptersTen Mi-171 Helicopters will go to Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The President of Buryatia, Leonid Potapov, is taking part in the high level Russo-Malaysian negotiations taking place in Moscow. One of the questions being discussed at the meeting of the presidents of... more

HelicoptersIndia delivers its first light helicopter to coast guard

New Delhi, India - The helicopter has been built by Hindustan Aeronautics

India has delivered its first advanced light helicopter to the country's Coast Guard. The helicopters, designed and manufactured by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at a cost of 114 million... more

HelicoptersNew Comanche will be produced at Bridgeport

Stratford, Connecticut - It has been announced by Sikorsky

Bridgeport Site Selected for Initial COMANCHE Production STRATFORD, Ct., March 12, 2002 -- The Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 COMANCHE team has selected an industrial site in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for the... more

HelicoptersFirst two Mil Mi-24 arrive to Rostvertol for upgrade to PN version

Moscow, Russia, Is the first two that will be modified at new international standards

The first two Mil Mi-24 Hind transportation combat helicopters of the Russian army aviation are arrived, to be upgraded, at the Rostvertol production enterprise. The overhaul of the... more

Helicopters13 more Eurocopters for U.S. border patrol

Grand Prairie, Texas - An agreement has been signed for AS350B3 helicopters

In response to emergency funding initiatives with respect to border security, the United States Border Patrol has signed a contract for 13 AS350B3’s with American Eurocopter Corporation (AEC) for immediate d... more

HelicoptersU.S. government will finance Estonian acquisition of four Robinson R-44 helicopters

The Estonian air force will acquire four R-44 helicopters in the first half of 2002, which will be financed by the US Foreign Military Fund. According to the factory price list the cost of one R- 44 helicopter... more

HelicoptersA new Eurocopter center will be opened in Malaysia on June

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - It will provide technical and logistic support

French-based helicopter industry Eurocopter sold 60 helicopters to Malaysia since 1963, and has decided to set up a facility in Subang to service helicopters and to support further sales of the companys... more

HelicoptersSpectrolab installs for first time a Nightsun II on a MD 500E

Ontario, Canada

Spectrolabs Nightsun II made its maiden flight today aboard the MD 500E of the Ontario police air unit, the lead customer. After successful daylight test flights, the helicopter and light were returned... more

HelicoptersNew Zealand grounds its UH-1D

New Zealand - Air Force will perform safety checks

New Zealand's entire fleet of 14 Bell UH-1D Iroquois helicopters has been grounded after the gearbox of one failed while flying in East Timor. The gearbox in the tail rotor drive train failed yesterday... more

HelicoptersMd Helicopters celebrates

Mesa, Usa - Delivered 100th Md Explorer

Md Helicopters, the Us helicopter constructor, last March 1st celebrated the delivery of its 100th Md Explorer helicopter. "This is a tremendous day for our company", stated Henk Schaeken, Md Helicopters... more

HelicoptersAgustaWestland chooses Telephonics for its EH-101 radars

Cascina Costa, Varese, Italy

Agusta-Westland of Italy has signed with Telephonics Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Griffon Corporation, a contract in excess of USD 700,000 to acquire 14 Search and Rescue, Weather Avoidance... more

HelicoptersRobinson Helicopters' R-44 awarded of Russian certification

Moscow, Russia, Is the first U.S. made helicopter to be awarded of such certification

The Robinson R44 is the first U.S. manufactured helicopter approved by Russia and the other states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) which include Azerbaidjan, Armenia, Beloruss, Georgia,... more

HelicoptersKoala also in Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA - An Agusta A-119 Koala helicopter delivered to Semaad

Ceremonies were recently held in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, commemorating the launch of an Agusta A119 Koala into air medical operations for the Southeast Mississippi Air Ambulance District (SEMAAD). The... more

HelicoptersAgustaWestland looks for further partner in EH101 US program

Cascina Costa, Varese, Italy

AgustaWestland is looking for a new partner to add to its US101 helicopter programme in time for the Farnborough airshow in July, the company says. According to Giuseppe Orsi, AgustaWestland sales and... more

HelicoptersKazan exposes at Singapore its "economic" helos

Singapore - They cost about an half of western "equivalents"

At Asian Aerospace 2002, ex-Soviet helicopter industry Kazan exposed two on its "economical" helicopters. One is the Mi-172 helicopter which was a modification of the well known Mi-17. Three helicopters... more

HelicoptersTwo MD Explorers excel on offshore oil work in Indonesia

Singapore

Two MD Explorers operated by Airfast Indonesia have logged 500 hours and an impressive 99 percent reliability rate performing offshore oil missions over the Java Sea. The helicopters are flying seven... more

HelicoptersRobinson R-22 helicopter exposed in UK Weston Super Mare museum

London - Has been considered as the most successful helicopter in the last 20 years

The most successful light helicopter of the 1980's-1990's, the Robinson R22 has joined the world's most successful helicopter museum situated at Weston super Mare in England. Designed and developed... more

HelicoptersSingapore's Navy will acquire eight embarked helicopters

Singapore - A bid for the procurement

Helicopter manufacturers are strongly interested to participate in Singapore’s competition for procurement of eight naval helicopters which is due to be decided later this year. The Singapore government h... more

HelicoptersLife Flight receives two Agusta A-109 Power

North Carolina, USA - The two helicopters are equipped with Turbomeca engines

Two sleek, brand new Life Flight helicopters did a "fly-by" of Duke University Hospital and then, after circling the medical center campus, landed simultaneously on the helipad they now call home. The... more

HelicoptersMD Helicopters sells its first MD Explorer in China

Singapore - The order has been signed during Asian Aerospace 2002

MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) continues to make inroads into new markets, this time with the sale of the first MD Explorer to a customer in the People’s Republic of China. Zhejiang Leasing, a major equipment l... more

HelicoptersSchweizer to deliver six helicopters to China

USA

Schweizer Aircraft Corp.announced the scheduled delivery of five piston helicopters to the Peoples Republic of China. The aircraft which were sold through Schweizer’s China distributor Sierra Academy o... more

HelicoptersU.S. Navy will reactivate four Super Seasprite for Polish Navy

Washington, USA - The four helicopters belongs to Naval Reserve

According to a reliable source. the U.S. Navy awarded a contract to Kaman to begin the reactivation of four SH-2G Super Seasprite helicopters for the Polish navy, The four aircraft, formerly of Navy... more

HelicoptersIndia interested to new Kamov KA-226

New Delhi, India - The helicopter has been exposed at DefExpo India-2002

Indian specialists have shown great interest in the new Ka-226 helicopter, developed by Kamov especially for flight in mountainous locale, the chief of the firm's administration, Aleksandr Anosov, reported today.... more

HelicoptersHoneywell signs contract with U.S. Army for Chinook engines upgrade

USA - The contract worth up to 1,1 USDbn

Honeywell said at Asian Aerospace 2002 show, opened today at Singapore, that it has signed its new U.S. Army T55 upgrade engine program and is set to perform contract work estimated at $1.1-billion... more