Tue, Jul 20, 2010
Will Allow Test Pilot Trainees To Maximize Aircraft's
Capabilities
The National Research Council Canada Institute for Aerospace
Research has contracted with Calgary-based Eagle Copters Ltd. to
replace the engines in their Bell 412 HP Advanced Systems Research
Aircraft (ASRA) with a Pratt and Whitney PT6T-9 Twin-Pac. The
replacement engines have digital engine control instead of a manual
engine governor, permitting more carefree operation of the aircraft
near engine and torque limits.
NRC Bell 412
For NRC pilots and researchers involved in control law design,
the new engines will allow the aircraft to fly more predictably. In
addition, the re-engining will allow NRC pilots to take full
advantage of the aircraft's fly-by-wire capabilities during
research and training activities. Specially configured with
on-board research equipment for the development and testing of
advanced flight systems and various modern cockpit technologies,
NRC's 412 is an integral part of their "finishing school" for
helicopter test pilots, a two-week training session on advanced
handling qualities for students at training organizations in the
U.K., the U.S., France and Canada.
Eagle Copters Ltd. is installing the engines at its Calgary
hangar. Once the job is complete, Eagle will hold a Supplemental
Type Certificate (STC) from Transport Canada, Canada's regulatory
body for aviation, which will allow the company to do similar work
for other clients in the future and expand the technology for
additional foreign validations. NRC's Chief Test Pilot, Rob Erdos,
who is a Design Approval Representative (DAR) for Transport Canada,
will flight test and complete the necessary certifications for the
modified aircraft.
NRC Bell 412
"This project is an excellent example of how NRC Aerospace
supports small and medium-size Canadian aerospace companies," said
Stewart Baillie, director of the NRC Aerospace Flight Research
Laboratory. "NRC Aerospace gets new engines installed in its Bell
412 from a well-respected Canadian supplier, while Eagle Copters
Ltd. acquires a new service they can offer to Bell 412 operators
around the globe."
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