BLR Aerospace has received FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for its patented FastFin system for the Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter. The kit is offered with an FAA-certified flight manual supplement that includes significant increases in useful load of 400 to 600 pounds, along with increased maneuverability and controllability margins commensurate with other BLR FastFin systems.
BLR classifies the UH-60 FastFin as a “second generation FastFin system” that achieves greater performance benefits in part due to the asymmetric shape attached to the tail boom that enhances the anti-torque performance of the tail rotor. The system also includes tail boom strakes and vortex generators.
In addition to the UH-60, the system is available for medium-size Bells and the Airbus AS350 helicopter family. BLR claims other benefits of the system include improved hover holding in crosswinds, better stability in the hover, and largely eliminating loss of tail rotor effectiveness. It works on any helicopter with an enclosed tail boom. BLR provides performance-enhancing products on more than 10,000 helicopters and airplanes worldwide.
Mike Carpenter, president of BLR Aerospace, said that the FastFin kit for the UH-60 “is just another example of how BLR’s patented FastFin system can dramatically improve the performance of an existing helicopter.”