Previously Approved In U.S., Canada

DART Helicopter Services said Tuesday that their subsidiary Apical Industries has received EASA approval of the EC145 Tri-Bag Emergency Float Systems with & without Life rafts.  Transport Canada and FAA approval have been previously received.

The Apical EC145 Emergency Float Kits consist of four emergency floats attached to the skid gear, a float inflation reservoir mounted on the lower portion of the fuselage, and a cyclic-mounted float inflation handle.  The kit may also contain a set of two 8-person life rafts (with 11 person overload capacity) which are packed on the aft floats and have their own mechanical inflation system. The patented integrated design of the Apical Life raft system conserves valuable passenger space and provides a significant safety benefit over cabin mounted options. All the associated plumbing, hardware and electrical components to complete the installation of the kits are provided.

The floats can be inflated from a cyclic-mounted lever, or with an optional automatic electrical back-up system. The life rafts are inflated either from the cockpit, or manually using 2 externally mounted "T" handles. Designed for use with float skidtubes or standard skidtubes with an optional skid extension kit, the total weight of the system is 122 lbs, or 190 lbs with the life rafts. Aircraft with the system deployed may be towed at up to 10 knots for recovery.

FMI: www.darths.com