Pilots of the Airbus Helicopters AS350 who want to see more of the view below when doing long-line utility and other work will soon have a solution. Swiss Rotor Solutions is expected to begin flight testing of a prototype of its MaxViewKit 350 , a replacement for the right-side cockpit door.
The MaxViewKit 350 is designed to replace the AS350’s standard door with a door with two bubble windows. The side bubble window in the door provides more space for the pilot’s head, particularly when leaning over to look downward through the other bubble window, which is mounted in the lower portion of the door. To fill the gap between the floor and the door when a downward field of view is not needed and to protect the lower window from debris, a solid cover for the bottom window that fits level with the cockpit floor will be provided as part of the kit.
Swiss Rotor Solutions claims the MaxViewKit 350 will increase vertical visibility below the helicopter by a factor of 10.
Thomas Bozli, the 9,000-hour utility pilot who initiated development of the product, said the company has sold about 15 MaxViewKit 350 kits to operators in Austria and Switzerland and that European insurance companies are offing discounts of up to 18 percent to operators with the kit installed. He expects the modification to be approved in Europe in one to three months. The kits will be manufactured in Germany.
The MaxViewKit 350 will cost around $50,000 in the U.S., he said, not including installation, which will take between 70 to 150 hours. Validation of the kit for the U.S., Canada and Brazil will be supported by Rotorcraft Services Group of Fort Worth, Texas. Bozli said he expects Swiss Rotorcraft Solutions will eventually need a network of installation partners in the U.S. FAA approval could take up to six months, he said, and he anticipates deliveries to the U.S. could begin in early 2017.