Enstrom Helicopter, a Michigan-based helicopter manufacturer, is developing a new RPM governor for its piston helicopters, the company announced Thursday at HAI’s Heli-Expo in Atlanta.
RPM governors are designed to help helicopter pilots automatically maintain a constant RPM in their rotors. Enstrom says its RPM governor uses a digital controller and has a fast-acting servo motor that accurately controls the RPM. Todd Tetzlaff, Enstrom’s incoming CEO, says its design was driven by safety and convenience.
“The pilot can set the RPM anywhere in the green, and then beep it up and down within the allowable range, just like on a turbine helicopter,” said Bill Taylor, Enstrom’s v-p of engineering.
“During autorotation training, it will automatically maintain the RPM just below the green. During the power recovery, it will quickly and reliably increase engine RPM and marry the needles, meaning the student and the instructor won’t ‘forget to roll the throttle back on’, and the engine won’t overspeed during recovery.”
Enstrom’s RPM governor will be made available on new model 280FX and F28F helicopters, and owners of existing 280FX and F28F models will have the option to incorporate the governors as a retrofit.