Kopter Group's new main gearbox (MGB) developed for its SH09 light turbine helicopter has already been flight tested on its Prototype 3 (P3) aircraft in conjunction with different combinations of aerodynamic modifications aimed to improve handling and performance, the Swiss company said yesterday. The new MGB is smoother, quieter, and will enable the exploration of a wider performance envelope for the helicopter, it added.
Data from those tests will be used to finalize the design configuration of Pre-Series Aircraft 4 and 5 (PS4 & PS5), which will be used to conduct certification flights next year. P3 is currently undergoing a planned inspection and will resume flight tests in a few weeks. Earlier this year, Kopter said it remains on track to obtain EASA certification of the SH09 in 2020. The $3.5 million SH09 will be powered by a single 1,020-shp Honeywell HTS900 and have a cruise speed of 140 knots and range of 430 nm.
In March, Kopter announced it had assumed occupancy of the former Bell 505 facility in Lafayette, Louisiana, and expects to eventually build half of its total production there, with deliveries from that facility beginning in 2021. Kopter also said earlier this year that it will start building a 215,000-sq-ft pre-assembly building at its Mollis, Switzerland headquarters later this year, with its opening slated for 2021.
The new main gearbox (MGB) Kopter Group has developed for its SH09 turbine-single helicopter is smoother, quieter, and will enable the exploration of a wider performance envelope for the helicopter, the company announced last month. The company said that the new MGB has already been flight tested on Prototype 3 (P3) aircraft in conjunction with different combinations of aerodynamic modifications aimed to improve the handling and performance.
Data from those tests will be used to finalize the design configuration of Pre-Series Aircraft 4 and 5 (PS4 & PS5), which will be used to conduct certification flights next year. P3 is currently undergoing a planned inspection and will resume flight tests in a few weeks. Earlier this year, Kopter said it remains on track to obtain EASA certification of the SH09 in 2020.
The SH09 is powered by a single 1,020-shp Honeywell HTS900 engine. Performance goals include maximum cruise speed of 140 knots and a maximum range of 430 nm. The retail price is expected to be close to $3.5 million.
In March, Kopter announced that it had assumed occupancy of the former Bell 505 facility in Lafayette, Louisiana, and that it expects to eventually build half of its total production there, with deliveries from that facility beginning in 2021. In February Kopter said it planned to begin building a new 215,000-sq-ft pre-assembly building at its Mollis, Switzerland headquarters later this year and that the facility there will be fully operational in 2021.