Tue, Nov 27, 2007
Main Rotor Blades Pass Flight Testing
AgustaWestland tells ANN it has successfully completed the
qualification flight testing of the new generation BERP IV AW101
main rotor blades. The new technology blades will enter operational
service in early 2008 on the UK's Royal Air Force fleet of AW101
Merlin Mk.3A helicopters.
The BERP IV program commenced in 2000 with a technology
selection and integration phase leading to the design and
manufacturing phase in 2002. The blades first flew in September
2006, and have now completed a 13 month flight test program --
during which the AW101 was flown at speeds up to 198 knots and at
altitudes of 13,000 feet.
Aircraft fitted with BERP IV blades have also been flown at
weights up to 16,500 kg -- 1,900 kg over the normal Merlin gross
weight and 900 kg over the current AW101 maximum gross weight.
The BERP IV main rotor blades have entered production, and
manufactured by AgustaWestland within six months of a contract
award by the MoD to support an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR)
for increased hot and high lift capability on the AW101 Merlin Mk
3A helicopters. The blades can also be directly retrofitted to
other AW101 variants as a direct replacement for the existing
blades.
"The BERP IV rotor blades deliver significant capability
improvements for the AW101 which the Royal Air Force and other
customers will greatly appreciate," said Graham Cole, Managing
Director - Business at AgustaWestland. "The speed at which we have
evolved the BERP IV blade technology is a credit to the joint
Ministry of Defence and AgustaWestland team."
BERP IV blades incorporate an improved planform, new aerofoil
sections and an advanced aeroelastically tailored structure to
provide reduced vibration, 10 knots additional cruise speed and 650
kg additional lift capability over the standard AW101 Merlin main
rotor blades.
"The harder these blades work the better they perform; they give
the AW101 a very useful improvement in lift capability," added
AgustaWestland test pilot Dick Trueman. "The already smooth AW101
is even smoother with these blades - vibration levels were so low
we often had to check the active vibration control system on the
AW101 was switched off during testing!"
More News
Airbus Racer Demonstrator Makes Inaugural Flight Airbus Helicopters' ambitious Racer demonstrator has achieved its inaugural flight as part of the Clean Sky 2 initiative, a corners>[...]
A little Bit Quieter, Said Testers, But in the End it's Still a DA40 Diamond Aircraft recently completed a little pilot project with Lufthansa Aviation Training, putting a pair of >[...]
Line Up And Wait (LUAW) Used by ATC to inform a pilot to taxi onto the departure runway to line up and wait. It is not authorization for takeoff. It is used when takeoff clearance >[...]
Contributing To The Accident Was The Pilot’s Use Of Methamphetamine... Analysis: The pilot departed on a local flight to perform low-altitude maneuvers in a nearby desert val>[...]
From 2015 (YouTube Version): Overcoming Obstacles To Achieve Their Dreams… At EAA AirVenture 2015, FedEx arrived with one of their Airbus freight-hauling aircraft and placed>[...]
Airbus Racer Helicopter Demonstrator First Flight Part of Clean Sky 2 Initiative
See All