Donaldson Aerospace and Defense has received FAA certification for the first inlet barrier filter (IBF) for the Robinson R66 to provide added protection for engines operating in dusty environments, the industry filtration specialist announced. The filter, designed for year-round usage, will be available as a factory option on new helicopters for $6,500, or as a retrofit to existing R66s. The installation includes a pre-flight sight gauge to observe how dirty the IBF is. Service interval for the oil-media unit is 300 hours or annually, depending on operating conditions.
Donaldson was asked to create the unit by Robinson after its customers, particularly those in Australia, which has a particularly fine and invasive dust, began to request additional engine protection. “With a growing number of R66 helicopters operating around the world and increasingly in challenging environments, it was imperative that we offer a superior filter solution,” explained Robinson Helicopter president and chairman Kurt Robinson. “Donaldson’s team was up to the challenge, and the newly certified R66 IBF is proof of their complete grasp of our customers’ needs.”
At Heli-Expo 2017, the filter is on display both at the Donaldson booth (10537), as part of a selection of its full line of dry and oiled media filters, or Robinson Helicopter (Booth 11842), which has ordered 25 of the filter kits. Deliveries of the kits will start shortly. According to Donaldson, which is accepting customer orders at the show, there is an eight-to-10 week lead time required for the unit.
The Minneapolis-based company also noted that PJ Helicopters, the launch customer for its new line of dry-media IBFs, is nearing the 100-hour mark of successful operations with the new filter. Installed on one of the company’s Bell 407s in California, the filter, which received FAA certification last year, consists of Donaldson’s non-woven dry media with proprietary nanofiber technology. While PJ’s director of maintenance operations Dave McCammon noted the aircraft has not shown any signs of power degradation or increased engine temperatures, he added, “Our real test will come this summer during our peak operating season when temperatures will be hotter and conditions will be a lot dryer.” A long-time customer, PJ requested that Donaldson create a dry-media IBF that offers easier cleaning than the oil-media version, according to Matthew Fortuna, the company’s global general manager. Fortuna added that Donaldson is ramping up production on its range of dry IBFs and expects to launch it for three new platforms over the next calendar year, starting with the MD 500.
Another milestone was recently experienced by Liberty Helicopters, which just passed one year since installing the Donaldson IBF on its fleet of Airbus H125s. “The IBFs have already prevented a rock, a bird and other FOD from reaching and damaging critical components," said Brent Duca, Liberty’s director of training, describing the IBF experience in his company’s fleet. The Liberty fleet racks up more than 9,000 hours annually in the New York City aerial tour market.
Lastly, Donaldson has seen an increase in customers Down Under as two Australian air medical providers, Toll Helicopters and Hunter Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Services, have signed on to outfit their combined 12 AW139s with the IBF to provide protection from a variety of contaminants, including salt water, sand and dust, according to Fortuna. “By using Donaldson IBF systems, operators in Australia have taken steps to extend engine life, and reduce program operating costs, by preventing damage from the elements.”