Canadian helicopter MRO provider Vector Aerospace has received FAA and EASA approval for its ADS-B solutions for Part 27 and Part 29 rotorcraft. In December the company earned EASA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for its ADS-B solution for the Airbus AS332 L/L1 Super Puma, the Leonardo AW139, and the Sikorsky S-76. At the same time, Vector received FAA STC approval to extend the approved model list (AML) for its Part 27 ADS-B solutions to include the Airbus H120/EC120, H125/AS350 and H130/EC130 light helicopter families.
The Part 29 retrofit upgrade, which uses the L-3 Lynx NGT-9000 ADS-B transponder, has also received STC approval from the FAA, Mexico’s DGAC and Brazil’s ANAC.
“Receipt of EASA certification and the new AML STC for the ADS-B retrofit upgrade broadens our ability to offer this unique solution to customers across the globe," said Elvis Moniz, the company’s vice president of business development for airframe and avionics solutions. “This upgrade has generated significant customer interest in recent months, and we are actively supplying ADS-B kits and installation support to operators globally as the ADS-B regulatory mandate date draws closer.” To date, the company has installed nearly 500 of the airborne reporting systems in a variety of aircraft types.
During Heli-Expo Vector (Booth 1612) is displaying an Airbus AS350 fuselage, highlighting its “nose-to-tail” MRO capabilities. It incorporates the latest version of the company’s crash-resistant fuel tank developed in cooperation with Robertson Fuel Systems, and a sample of Vector’s composite repair capabilities. It will also be used to introduce the Safecraft portfolio of retrofittable safety solutions for the AS350/EC130 family developed in conjunction with Astronautics, L-3, Outerlink Global Solutions, Robertson, Safe Flight and Thales, which cover electronic flight instruments, a new-generation autopilot, a collective cueing system, a powerline detection system, icing conditions detector, and flight data monitoring. To showcase its engine MRO capabilities, Vector will also display a cutaway Safran Arriel engine and AS350 drivetrain.
The independent MRO announced it has signed a two-year engine support contract with Italy’s Financial Police, its first contract with the Italian government. The deal covers the Rolls-Royce M250 engines installed on the agency’s fleet of MD500 helicopters.
For the Bell 407 platform Vector is noting strong customer interest in its M250-C4B Value Improvement Package upgrade, a suite of modifications that produce a 5 percent improvement in hot/high performance and lower direct operating costs thanks to 2 percent decreased fuel burn and reduced part attrition. The upgrade allows M250-C47B operators to achieve the same configuration as the M250C47B/8 configuration as found on the current Bell 407GXP.
The Richmond, British Columbia-based company is also highlighting its support of dynamic components and turboshafts, as well as turbine engine fuel control units. It has 35 mobile repair technicians on call 24/7, based at 10 locations worldwide.