From the 24th to the 26th of February Houston, Texas hosted the annual international Heli-Expo 2008. For 3 days the George Brown Centre where the main exhibition hall was located was filled with helicopters and all the things associated with them.
Under the roof of the George Brown Centre
The center gathered manufacturers and buyers from all over the world. The number of companies who plan to buy helicopters is constantly increasing because rotary-wing aircraft now cost almost like expensive cars. That’s why it’s no surprising that the George Brown Centre gathered 523 participant companies, and as always, among them were the biggest helicopter manufacturers Eurocopter, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., MD Helicopters, Bell Helicopters, AgustaWestland, Enstrom Helicopters Corp. and Robinson Helicopters. 65 helicopters were exhibited in all their glory on one floor. On the first very day the record was set: nearly 16,000 visitors came to the opening!
Debuts and encores
After the small ceremony and some ribbon-cutting the exhibition opened with the showcase of premieres.
The first one was the ambitious project by Sikorsky: X2, helicopter prototype with a maximum speed of over 490 kmph. High speed has always been one of the hard-hitting objectives of helicopter engineering. Hoping to solve this task Sikorsky had made some improvements and created the original helicopter prototype of coaxial design.
The X2 innovative technology uses coaxial construction managed by fly-by-wire. The engine power is distributed between main rotors and the pusher propeller located in the tail-end. The helicopters built on the base of X2 are going to be equipped with turboshaft 450-hp Rolls-Royce 801 engines.
However, X2 is not the end product; it’s just a demonstration of new technology. Which can’t be said about another debut, the 16-seat EC 175 by Eurocopter. According to the designers their “aircraft was created together with the customers and for the customers; all the wishes and dreams were combined, and we also implemented the leading technologies of safety, flying characteristics and cabin layout.” EC 175 is going to have its maiden flight in 2008 and pass certification in 2011.
Another novelty at the Heli-Expo 2008 was the light S-434 helicopter by Schweizer, subsidiary of Sikorsky. Though there was only a scale model of this helicopter at the show. The machine is built on the base of the existing S-333 helicopter. It will use the advantages of a 4-paddle propeller and a more spacious fuel tank; besides, the speed and range of the new aircraft are going to be more than those of the predecessor, with more payload capacity. The designers say that this helicopter will stand out next to to its counterparts of the same class: it will weigh almost 1300 kg and cost $933,000. The first commercial delivery is expected in 12-18 months. In spring the helicopter will start its FAA certification.
As for the helicopters that had been already showcased before, the star of the exhibition again was the exclusive co-project of Versace and Agusta Westland – AW139. The 2 companies announced the beginning of their cooperation at the previous Heli-Expo. But their latest unique creation is pure perfection, a blend of luxury and comfort. The representatives of both sides said that their cooperation will only deepen and the line of helicopters with the most luxurious and stylish interiors for corporate and VIP-clients will expand.
Finally, the visitors of the show were delighted by the 1st pre-serial prototype by Bell Helicopters, Bell 429, and R66, the new design by Robinson Helicopters.
How will we fly?
It’s worth saying a couple of words about figures, because exhibitions like the Heli-Expo give a clear view of the order and sales market, as well as the development of the helicopter industry.
The undoubted leader of the Heli-Expo 2008 was EC 175. On the 2nd day of the exhibition Eurocopter received orders for 100 EC 175 helicopters, altogether for $750 million. For 3 days 111 aircraft were sold; these were purchased by 13 companies from various locations: from Russia (UTair) for India, the USA and New Zealand. The buyers were mainly attracted by the many advantages of the new 7-ton 16-seater: the unique cabin opportunities, range, tonnage, comfort and service costs. All in all Eurocopter got orders for 200 helicopters, for $1 billion.
The next on the list of sales leaders was Agusta Westland. During the forum the company signed contracts for 76 helicopters, all in all for $470 million. The aircraft with the most number of orders were A109Grand (30) and AW139 (19). As for company manufacturers that were especially successful at the fair, one can note MD Helicopters that sold 10 MD 902 for $22 million, and Sikorsky Aircraft with a small for such giant sum of $317 million, received mostly from the sale of 16 S-92 helicopters and 4 S-76C++ aircraft.
Yet another Heli-Expo came to an end, and the team of organizers has already started getting ready for another one. Little by little the Orient is becoming the centre of events. The US experts predict that in the next 20 years the sales of new helicopters and planes in China will level with that of the North America; as for the Chinese aviation fair in Hong Kong, it has every chance of becoming one of the leading aviation events in the world in the years to come. This said, it has a competitor now, Singapore, which organizes the same kind of fair in 2008 almost on the same days as Hong Kong.
Andrey Barkov
Photoreport
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