Duncan Aviation's helicopter component repair services business rose 80% in 2017, and the growth is expected to continue through 2018, the company said.
Textron Aviation is halting production of the high-performance Cessna TTx single. Last year, it delivered just 23 units, down from 31 in 2016 and 44 in 2015.
Bell has officially dropped the word "helicopter" from its name. CEO Mitch Snyder explained that the term had become "very confining" but added "this does not mean we are not going to keep building helicopters or tiltrotors."
Airbus Helicopters plans to build a second commercial helicopter, the EC145e, in the U.S. to support the emergency medical services (EMS) market. The company's Columbus, Mississippi, facility will build 25 of the models, following an order from Metro Aviation, an EMS operator and completion firm.
Initial wind-tunnel testing of the Cessna SkyCourier twin turboprop has been completed and Brad Thress, senior vice president-engineering, reported making "outstanding progress" in development of the all-new design.
Dassault Aviation took the wraps off its 5,500-nm Falcon 6X at a day-long technical briefing at Paris Le Bourget Airport on Feb. 28. The new, top-of-the-line Falcon is slated for first flight in 2021 and entry into service in 2022.
The Silvercrest turbofan engine, whose recurring problems caused Dassault to terminate the Falcon 5X program (see page 56) is being tweaked to better meet the needs of its only remaining application, the Cessna Hemisphere.
Oriens Aviation recorded a strong 2017, with the sale of five new Pilatus PC-12 aircraft to customers. The company also has secured its first new-build delivery position for 2018.
FlightSafety International is offering FAA-approved Part 142 Night-Vision Goggle initial and recurrent training in simulators for helicopters built by Bell, Airbus and Sikorsky.
StandardAero Component Services is expanding its facilities in Cincinnati and Hillsboro, Ohio, and Miami by a total of 260,000 sq. ft. at a cost of $16 million.
Flying Colours Corp. has signed an agreement with the Conair Group to modify six production Bombardier Q400MR aircraft to support multipurpose missions. Conair Group provides fixed-wing firefighting aircraft.
When Duncan Aviation recently installed LoPresti Aviation "Boom Beam" high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting in a Phenom 300 light jet, the technology was described by Vice President of Sales David LoPresti as a work in progress.” Indeed it was, and is. The Sebastian, Florida-based company has already installed the HID lighting in 550 different aircraft models, from owner-flown light turboprops to widebody VIP personal jets.
The recent decision by U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) to scrap his idea of privatizing the ATC system was met with relief throughout the business and general aviation communities.
XTI Aircraft says its TriFan 600 prototype is on budget and on schedule for a first flight later this year. A unique design, it is a six-passenger vertical- and short-takeoff luxury aircraft expected to reach speeds of more than 260 kt. and have a range of slightly more than 1,200 nm.
