System Earned FAA STC Last Year

Air Comm Corporation (ACC) tells ANN its newly-certified AS350 air conditioner will be in the spotlight at Heli-Expo 2008 (Booth 4431), which officially kicked off Sunday in Houston, TX.

The unique vapor-cycle air conditioner for the Eurocopter AS350 earned Federal Aviation Administration Supplemental Type Certification last fall. Air Comm reports 15 systems have been delivered to date, and 21 more are already on order for delivery in 2008. The new cooling system features the company’s exclusive leak-free Torq-Lok refrigerant fittings and a shaft-driven compressor with an adjustable mount to allow for easy belt alignment.

"Customers have been asking us to develop an AS350 system," said ACC President Keith Steiner. "It’s gratifying to offer them the superior product they wanted backed by the exceptional support they have come to expect."

While other AS350 cooling systems feature large, labor-intensive condenser cutouts, Air Comm says its condenser is discreetly located, and not readily noticeable.  The only external evidence is a single, six-inch diameter condenser exhaust outlet in the right-hand baggage door (shown above).

"We found a way to develop exceptional condenser performance, while minimizing our impact to the aesthetics of a really attractive aircraft," said Steiner. "We call the design the 'Slim-Line' condenser, and its performance translates directly to air conditioner cooling performance."

The air conditioner has two dedicated evaporators to separately cool the cockpit and the cabin of the helicopter. It can be installed with any current interior modifications, and was specially designed for emergency air medical applications.

Air Comm Corp. is a privately held company that designs, manufactures, and supports more than 20 heating and air conditioning systems for a range of helicopters, including Agusta, Bell, Eurocopter, MD, and Sikorsky.

FMI: www.aircommcorp.com