Marenco, Honeywell Sign Engine Agreement for SKYe Helo

Honeywell Aerospace signed a contract to supply the HTS900 turboshaft to Marenco Swisshelicopter for the SKYe SH09 single-engine helicopter, the companies announced yesterday. This marks the first production agreement for the new Honeywell engine.

Honeywell said SH09 pilots will benefit from increased payload capacity at high altitudes thanks to the HTS900’s high power-to-weight ratio. The engine weighs 338 pounds but produces more than 1,000 shp. With a 5,842-pound mtow, the SH09 is designed to carry one pilot and seven passengers.

“Increasing operational efficiency, while simultaneously reducing maintenance time and costs, is an ever-present concern,” said Marenco Swisshelicopter CEO Martin Stucki. “Honeywell is enabling us to do this with a future-proofed package that allows us to increase power—and therefore payload—as well as providing room for engine growth within the same architecture.”

Three HTS900 engines have already been delivered to Marenco to support the SH09 flight-test program. Certification of the all-composite helicopter is slated for the second half of next year.