http://www.dsti.net/Information/News/67019
美陸軍稱其將啟動高速旋翼機研製項目
2011-04-21

[據英國《飛行國際》網站2011年4月19日報導]美國陸軍航空兵負責人近日首次承諾，他們將啟動一個全新的旋翼機項目，而不總是對現有的常規直升機進行升級。該專案將在2030年前研製一型速度超過200kt（370km/h）的高速旋翼機。

陸軍航空兵負責人Anthony Crutchfield少將于4月17日在美國陸航協會（AAAA）年度會議的一次講話中承諾，陸軍將啟動一個全新的旋翼機項目。Crutchfield還列出了他們準備替換的機型，包括AH-64、CH-47和UH-60。

他還表示，陸軍的“下一代飛行器”將比現有的常規構型直升機的速度快至少30kt。該機還應具備可選擇有人/無人駕駛能力，能夠承擔飛行848km以上的任務，能夠懸停至少2小時，具備6000ft（1830m）高度、35℃環境下懸停的能力，且能夠同時搭載9名機組人員及武器和感測器載荷。

Crutchfield表示：“我不認為我們通過升級現有機隊就能夠達到上述的性能指標，我們需要一些新的東西。”

自2004年RAH-66專案取消以來，陸軍航空兵在為現有機隊升級航電和動力系統上已經投入了幾十億美元。這些投資確實保證了陸航在伊拉克和阿富汗的直升機需求，但陸航的領導人們認為，他們在2030年後需要更快、生存性更強來保證部隊的作戰能力。

Crutchfield說：“我不希望我的孫子在飛的直升機竟然是‘長弓阿帕奇’Block 80。”

陸軍近期也對美國西科斯基公司的X2項目及Piasecki的X-49A項目進行了資助。而美國波音公司也啟動了其“盤型旋翼”概念的研究工作。貝爾公司則公佈了其“複合式縱列旋翼機”，並在V-22專案上與美國貝爾公司繼續保持合作。

今年1月，陸軍發佈了一份招標書（RFP），尋求一種能夠替換其現有的AH-64和UH-60的新機型，該專案命名為聯合多工旋翼機（JMR）-中型。JMR還將進行輕型和重型級別的改型開發。

但是，陸軍目前也沒有最終確定JMR-中型研製計畫，甚至沒有確定該型號是先替換“黑鷹”還是“阿帕奇”。（中國航空工業發展研究中心  李昊）

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/04/19/355707/us-army-pledges-to-launch-new-class-of-high-speed-rotorcraft.html
DATE:19/04/11
SOURCE:Flight International
US Army pledges to launch new class of high-speed rotorcraft
By Stephen Trimble

The leaders of the US Army aviation branch have pledged for the first time to break from upgrades to conventional helicopters and field an all-new rotorcraft with a minimum top speed of 200kt (370km/h) by 2030.

Maj Gen Anthony Crutchfield, aviation branch chief, committed the service to the new rotorcraft in a speech to the Army Aviation Association of America on 17 April. He also set a list of requirements for the vertical lift machines that will replace the Boeing AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk.

The army’s “next-generation aircraft” must be at least 30kt faster than the top speed a conventional helicopter can achieve due to the limitation of retreating blade stall, which caps forward velocity at roughly 170kt, Crutchfield says.

It must also be optionally-manned, fly 848km (458nm) missions, remain on station for 2h, hover at 6,000ft (1,830m) with temperatures above 35°C (95°F) and carry a nine-person crew plus weapons and sensors, he says.

“I don’t think we can do all those things just by incrementally improving our current aircraft,” Crutchfield says. “It’s going to have to be something new.”

Since cancelling the Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche in 2004, army aviation leaders have poured billions of dollars in to upgrading the service’s existing helicopters with new propulsion and avionics systems.

That investment has produced a healthy inventory of aircraft that are in high demand in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but army aviation branch officials believe they will need faster and more survivable aircraft after 2030 to remain effective.

“I don’t want my grandchildren flying the [AH-64 Apache] Longbow Block 80,” Crutchfield says. “[The Apache is] a great aircraft but we need technology to take us further into that future.”

Crutchfield’s vision aligns the army with recent investments by Sikorsky in the coaxial-rotor X2 high-speed demonstrator and by Piasecki with the compound-rotor X-49A Speed Hawk. Boeing, meanwhile, has started early development of a high-speed vertical lift concept called the Disc Rotor. Bell Helicopter has revealed a concept for a “hybrid tandem rotor”, and also has fielded the high-speed V-22 Osprey tiltrotor with Boeing as a partner.

In Janaury, the army issued a request for proposals for concepts to develop a replacement for the UH-60 and AH-64 with a single aircraft called the Joint Multi-Role (JMR)-Medium. This also is envisioned to be scaled up to replace the heavylift Chinook or scaled down to replace the Bell OH-58 Kiowa Warrior.

But army officials have not finalised plans for launching the JMR-Medium programme, or even determined whether the Black Hawk/Apache replacement should come first.

http://www.sikorsky.com/About+Sikorsky/News/Press+Details?pressvcmid=900187305eabe210VgnVCM1000004f62529fRCRD
Sikorsky X2 Technology™ Demonstrator Wins Prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy
March 15, 2011

  STRATFORD, Connecticut - The Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. X2 Technology™ demonstrator team has been named the winner of the 2010 Robert J. Collier Trophy, awarded annually to recognize the greatest achievements in aeronautics or astronautics in America. It is the 100th Collier Trophy to be awarded since the inception of the prize. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

The award, considered to be the one of the greatest honors to be bestowed in the American aviation industry, recognizes achievements that improve the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year.

The recognition comes six months after the X2 Technology demonstrator successfully achieved a speed of 250 knots true air speed in level flight, setting an unofficial speed record for a helicopter and accomplishing the program’s ultimate speed milestone. The Collier Trophy will be formally presented at the Annual Collier Dinner to be held on May 5 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.

“This is a tremendous honor that recognizes the hard work, dedication, skill and vision of many people,” said Sikorsky President Jeffrey P. Pino. “Sikorsky has a long and storied history of innovation, starting with the invention of the world’s first practical helicopter and continuing today with X2 Technology and the exciting new possibilities it opens for our company and our industry.”

Robert J. Collier was an aviator, humanitarian, and sportsman who commissioned the trophy that bears his name in 1910 with the intent to encourage the American aviation community to strive for excellence and achievement in aeronautic development, according to the National Aeronautic Association web site. Previous Collier Trophy winners comprise a veritable “Who’s Who” of aviation excellence including Orville Wright, Chuck Yeager, and the F-22 Raptor Team. Among the Collier committee members to interview Sikorsky X2 team members earlier this week about the demonstrator’s accomplishments was American astronaut Neil Armstrong.

“The entire Sikorsky Aircraft team is thrilled that the Collier Trophy committee has recognized the X2 Technology demonstrator for its game-changing technology, putting us in the highly respected company of some of the industry’s most prominent pioneers,” said Mark Miller, Sikorsky vice president of research & engineering. “This is a tremendous honor for the entire Sikorsky community, and we are proud to see the X2 Technology demonstrator earn its place in aviation history.”

“As the X2 Technology program transitions to its first application, we are confident that the X2™ design has a tremendous future and is scalable for a variety of rotorcraft sizes and applications. This recognition is warm acknowledgement of the great things that can be achieved when the spirit of innovation and dedication to the task are the foundation,” Miller added.

“The X2 Technology demonstrator program set out to accomplish four key performance objectives: low single pilot work load, low vibration, low acoustic signature, and speed – defined as cruise at 250 knots,” said Jim Kagdis, program manager for Sikorsky’s Advanced Programs. “There was a fifth key objective that remains a driving force to all that we do at Sikorsky: to preserve the legacy and pioneering spirit of our company founder, Igor Sikorsky, and to educate and inspire the next generation of engineers and aviation professionals. The Collier Trophy exemplifies this fifth objective, so it is hugely rewarding for the team to stand recognized for upholding the basic tenets on which Sikorsky Aircraft was founded. I am extremely proud of the team and our accomplishment.”

The X2 Technology demonstrator combines an integrated suite of technologies intended to advance the state-of-the-art, counter-rotating coaxial rotor helicopter. It is designed to demonstrate a helicopter can cruise comfortably at 250 knots while retaining such desirable attributes as excellent low speed handling, efficient hovering, and a seamless and simple transition to high speed.

Among the innovative technologies the X2 Technology demonstrator employs are:

Fly-by-wire flight controls
Counter-rotating rigid rotor blades
Hub drag reduction
Active vibration control
Integrated auxiliary propulsion system
As a “follow-on” to the successful X2 program, Sikorsky Aircraft is continuing development of the next-generation rotary wing technology by launching the S-97™ RAIDER™ program. Sikorsky and select suppliers will design, build, and fly two prototype light tactical helicopters. These prototype vehicles will enable the U.S. armed forces to experience, first hand, the advanced performance capabilities X2 Technology can provide.

Like the X2 Technology demonstrator, the S-97 RAIDER helicopter will feature twin coaxial counter-rotating main rotors and a pusher propeller. In addition to flying at nearly twice the speed of a conventional helicopter, the S-97 RAIDER prototype aircraft will incorporate other key performance parameters critical to combat operations — increased maneuverability, greater endurance, and the ability to operate at high altitudes.

The X2 Technology program began in 2005 when Sikorsky first committed resources and full funding for the program’s development. Key suppliers for the X2 Technology demonstrator are:

Eagle Aviation Technologies, LLC.: Main rotor blades, miscellaneous composite hardware
Goodrich Corporation: SmartProbe™ air data system and engineering support
Hamilton Sundstrand Corp.: Flight Control Computers, Active vibration control, engineering support
LHTEC (Light Helicopter Turbine Engine Company, a partnership between Rolls-Royce/Honeywell): Engines, engineering support
Moog, Inc.: Active vibration actuation, Consignment MU/EU components, engineering support
Rotating Composite Technologies, LLC: Pusher propeller
Over the past two years, Sikorsky’s X2 Technology demonstrator has received several accolades including the 2009 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Innovator Award, a 2009 “Best of What’s New” award from Popular Science, and was named “One of 2009’s Best Inventions” by Time magazine. In January 2010, Aviation Week named it “One of the Top 10 Technologies to Watch,” and was a finalist in the 2010 Aviation Week Laureate Awards category of Aeronautics and Propulsion.

The X2 Technology demonstrator’s Collier Trophy award marks the second time a Sikorsky team has been awarded the esteemed trophy. In 2002, the S-92® helicopter and its program team won the award. The trophy recognized the S-92 helicopter team for designing, manufacturing, testing and introducing into service the S-92 helicopter, which raised “across-the-board” standards for rotary wing air travel.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Conn., provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.

http://www.dsti.net/Information/News/66446
美國西科斯基飛機公司X2複合直升機技術驗證機獲得Collier獎（下）
2011-03-29

X2技術驗證機集成了一系列正在探索階段的新技術。該機的巡航速度能夠達到250kt，並具備其他一系列的優點，如低速飛行操縱性、高效率懸停以及簡單、精確的向高速飛行轉換過程。

X2上使用的技術包括：

電傳飛控系統

共軸反轉式剛性旋翼槳葉

槳轂減阻措施

主動振動控制

綜合輔助動力系統

作為X2專案的延續，西科斯基公司正在開發下一代旋翼機技術，啟動了S-97“劫掠者”專案。西科斯基公司及其選擇的供應商們將設計、製造並試飛兩架原型機。這兩架原型機將交由陸軍試用。與X2技術驗證機相同，S-97也使用共軸反轉式主旋翼及尾部推進器的構型。此外，該機將達到常規構型直升機幾乎兩倍的飛行速度，S-97還將具備其他一些對於軍事行動來說關鍵性的性能，如較好的機動性、耐久性及高原性能。

X2專案開始於2005年，是西科斯基公司首個完全自費的開發專案。該項目主要的供應商包括：

老鷹航空技術公司-負責主旋翼及多種複合材料構件

古德里奇公司-負責提供SmartProbe航空資料系統及工程支援

漢密爾頓聯合公司-負責飛控電腦、主動減振控制及工程支援

LHTEC（輕型直升機渦軸發動機公司）-負責發動機及工程支援

Moog公司-負責主動減振作動器及MU/EU元件

旋轉複合材料技術公司-負責尾部推進器

在過去的兩年中，西科斯基公司的X2技術驗證機獲得了一系列的獎項，包括2009年度的大眾機械突破性發明獎、2009年度大眾科學“最佳新發明”獎以及時代雜誌的“2009年度最佳創新獎”。2010年1月，航空週刊將其評為“十大最值得關注的技術創新”之一，並獲得了2010年航空週刊的航空及推進系統類獎金的提名。

X2是西科斯基公司第二次獲得Collier獎的項目。2002年，S-92直升機及其項目小組首次獲得了該獎項。Collier獎委員會認為，S-92專案小組從設計、製造、試驗及應用方面“整體上”提高了旋翼機的技術標準。（中國航空工業發展研究中心  李昊）

http://www.dsti.net/Information/News/66447
美國西科斯基飛機公司X2複合直升機技術驗證機獲得Collier獎（上）
2011-03-29

[據西科斯基公司網站2011年3月15日報導]西科斯基公司X2技術驗證機小組贏得了美國全國航空協會（NAA）2010年度Robert J. Collier獎，該獎項每年評選一次，頒發給美國當年航空或宇航領域最重要的技術成果。2010年度是Collier獎設立100周年。

Collier獎被認為是美國航空工業界最高榮譽之一，該獎項授予當年度在提升航空/宇航飛行器的性能、效率安全性等方面最突出的技術成果，並需要在實際應用中得到驗證。

X2技術驗證機在2010年成功達到250kt平飛速度，並將挑戰更高的前飛速度。Collier獎將在5月5日的年度Collier晚宴上正式頒發。

西科斯基公司總裁Jeffrey P. Pino表示：“這個獎項對於我們來說是一個巨大的榮譽，標誌著著我們的艱苦工作、風險、技術及夢想得到了認可。”

Robert J. Collier是一個飛行員、人道主義者和運動員，1910年以他的名字設立了一個獎項，用於鼓勵在美國航空業界做出努力和成就的人們。先前的Collier獎獲獎者包括奧維爾•萊特、查理斯•“查克”•耶戈爾（首次進行超音速飛行的飛行員）以及F-22團隊。本周早些時候Collier委員會對X2小組進行了採訪，負責採訪的隊伍中包括美國登月的宇航員尼爾•阿姆斯壯。

西科斯基公司負責科研及工程的副總裁Mark Miller說：“整個西科斯基公司都為X2驗證機獲得了Collier獎而激動，這使我們作為旋翼機工業界科技創新的先鋒獲得了巨大的聲望。這對於整個西科斯基公司來說都是巨大的榮譽，我們對於X2能夠在航空發展歷史上佔有一席之地而感到驕傲。”

西科斯基公司創新專案專案經理Jim Kagdis稱：“X2技術驗證機專案目前正在為實現4項關鍵性的性能目標而努力：單飛行員駕駛時保持較低的工作載荷、低振動水準、低聲學特徵、250kt巡航速度。此外，還有一個關鍵的目標是繼承公司創始人伊戈爾•西科斯基的傳統及創新精神，並傳承給下一代工程師和技術人員。Collier獎恰好證明了這一目標，這對於X2團隊堅持西科斯基的有兩傳統來說是一個巨大的鼓勵。”（中國航空工業發展研究中心  李昊）

http://www.dsti.net/Information/News/66143
以色列航宇工業公司終止將有人直升機改裝為無人平臺工作
2011-03-18

[據英國《飛行國際》網站2011年3月16日報導]一位元高級消息人士稱以色列航宇工業公司（IAI）將不會向有人駕駛直升機轉變為無人平臺的專案進行額外投資。
　　雖然到目前為止該公司的努力看起來是一次“合理的”投資，但數個平臺的測試已經凸顯出這些產品的缺點。這位元消息人士稱主要問題是平臺的續航時間短。
　　近年來，IAI已經在使用現有直升機進行無人操作方面幫助印度斯坦航空工業有限公司進行了一些工作。但由於印度不負擔全部經費，而且客戶缺乏，IAI終止了此項工作。在計畫暫停將有人平臺改裝為無人平臺工作的同時，IAI最近已經透露出一些關於其在小型無人旋翼機方面的工作細節，其中的一個例子就是“幽靈”偵察設計。該機的最大起飛重量為4千克，最大速度為65千米/小時，續航時間為25分鐘。（中國航空能夠工業發展研究中心  褚世永）

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/03/16/354377/iai-pulls-plug-on-unmanned-helicopter-conversions.html
DATE:16/03/11
SOURCE:Flight International
IAI pulls plug on unmanned helicopter conversions
By Arie Egozi

Israel Aerospace Industries will not invest additional money in converting manned helicopters into unmanned platforms, a senior source says.

While the company's efforts to date had looked like a "reasonable" investment, tests made with some platforms have highlighted the shortcomings of such products.

"The main problem is the short endurance of such a platform. An unmanned rotorcraft should be designed as such from scratch to make it very efficient for the missions," the source says.

In recent years, IAI has been involved in an effort to assist India's Hindustan Aeronautics in using an existing helicopter for unmanned operations. However, the work was not fully budgeted by India, and IAI ceased its active involvement due to the lack of a customer.

While it intends to step back from such work on adapting manned platforms, IAI has recently revealed some details about its efforts in the small unmanned rotorcraft sector. One example is its developmental "Ghost" reconnaissance design, which has a maximum take-off weight of 4kg (8.8lb), a top speed of 35kt (65km/h) and an endurance of 25min.

http://www.dsti.net/Information/News/65805
歐洲直升機公司即將正式啟動X4直升機研製項目
2011-03-08

[據英國《飛行國際》0211年3月6日報導]歐洲直升機公司總裁魯茲•伯特林（Lutz Bertling）表示，其新型直升機X4專案的詳細計畫將在今年第二季度6月份前凍結，凍結後將正式啟動該項目。
    X4直升機在設計時定位為EC155中型雙發直升機的替代機型，其使用的技術在2020年後將成為歐直公司的技術基線。據伯特林稱，該機最大的特點是取消了駕駛艙。此外，伯特林表示，X4使用的一些技術是是法國政府及其他一些機構贊助的，在2016年X4投入市場前還不能公佈。（中國航空工業發展研究中心  李昊）

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/03/06/353965/he11-eurocopter-readies-for-cockpit-less-x4-launch.html
DATE:06/03/11
SOURCE:Flightglobal.com
#HE11: Eurocopter readies for cockpit-less X4 launch

Eurocopter president and CEO Lutz Bertling says specifications for the new X4 helicopter will be “frozen” in the second quarter, before June, to be followed by a formal launch of the program.

Designed as a replacement for the EC155 Dauphin medium-class twin, the X4 is to set the stage for technologies that Bertling says will be baseline for all Eurocopter helicopters in the 2020 decade.

“Flying this helicopter will be a totally different way of flying an aircraft,” said Bertling at the Helicopter Association International’s annual exhibition and trade show in Orlando this morning. “The first time you set foot in this helicopter, you will miss something – the cockpit.”

Bertling acknowledges that some of the technologies, for which the French government and others are providing research funding, will not be ready for introduction until after the X4 comes to market in 2016.

http://www.dsti.net/Information/News/65672
歐直公司預示X4在技術上將有“革命性”的進步
2011-03-03

[據英國《飛行國際》網站2011年3月1日報導]歐直公司的總裁盧茨•伯特林（Lutz Bertling）明確表示：歐直銷售的不是直升機，而是任務能力。為保持領先必須不斷創新，創新意味著客戶價值。
    今年早些時候，伯特林在巴黎談論X3混合直升機技術驗證機時稱：該專案不僅是強調速度，而是強調高效費比的速度。毫無疑問在披露X4概念時他同樣會承諾其是先進工程和底線價格的結合。
    目前還不清楚X4是否在6月的巴黎航展上出現，歐直公司透露的有關資訊很少。X4擬用於替代AS365“海豚”雙發中型直升機（以快速、高效和長航程著稱，尤其適用于高溫、高原環境）。伯格林預示：X4在技術上將是“革命性”的進步，飛行方式也“完全不同”，“遊戲規則”也將改變；歐直的目標是實現如同“電傳飛控”那樣的技術飛躍。今年早些時候，伯格林稱X4將採用透博梅卡的發動機。
    歐直公司“藍色旋翼機”（Bluecopter）概念在X4也有體現，包括通過“藍色脈衝（Blue Pulse）”和“藍色刀鋒（Blue Edge）”旋翼項目實現的雜訊、振動和性能提升。針對X4，歐直公司在飛行員輔助功能方面，如飛行態勢感知和先進自動飛行控制律等，也開展了工作，目的是使得飛行更容易、安全性更高。歐直公司開發了保證機組人員持續監控的相關技術，包括3D綜合視覺、2D數位導航管理顯示、遇險時自動任務重規劃、4D自動駕駛引導模組。（中國航空工業發展研究中心  王睿）

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/03/01/353668/helicopters-in-2011-ready-for-departure.html
DATE:01/03/11
SOURCE:Flight International
Helicopters in 2011: ready for departure
By John Croft

Armed with a rising economy and a drive to succeed, today's rotorcraft industry stands ready to start reaping the fruits of its years-long self-critiquing labour.

With significant progress made or under way, the sector is poised to take its place among the best and brightest in the aerospace world, where innovation is king and safety is job number one. "I think we targeted what the real issues are," says Matt Zuccaro, president of the Helicopter Association International (HAI), the advocacy group that now includes 3,000 members and 90 international affiliates, of the industry's maturation during his five-plus years in the hot seat.

Those issues included a higher-than-desired accident rate for helicopters in general aviation operations, particularly for emergency medical services helicopters (see P30); noise concerns that marred the reputation of companies and threatened to restrict or eliminate necessary police, emergency and business aviation activities; a lack of advocacy in government circles and a dearth of communication among those in the industry.

SAVING GRACE

HAI hovers at the forefront of efforts internationally to analyse methodically the industry's myriad tendrils into the transport sector and to make improvements.

Zuccaro observes that rotorcraft perform more than 50 different missions, a variety that allowed operators to deploy their assets to alternate missions when the economy shut down their primary uses. "It's the saving grace of this industry," he says.

Proof that the industry is indeed rebounding is evident in the number of exhibitors registered for HAI's annual Heli-Expo exhibition in Orlando in Florida in the first week of March - up to an all-time high of 600 this year, from 570 in 2010. Flightglobal's HeliCAS database shows deliveries of turbine-powered helicopters by most manufacturers worldwide were down about 25% to 1,305 in 2010 compared with 2009, similar to the drop experienced in the business jet sector. Manufacturers expect flat or slightly increasing levels for 2011, with growth returning in 2012. The industry's diversity has also been a challenge when attempting to raise all participants to a higher level in terms of safety and image.

That reality is what keeps Zuccaro and his top deputies on the road for outreach activities more than 50% of every year and has plunged the organisation headlong into the YouTube and Twitter generation. Top-shelf programmes include working with the Federal Aviation Administration and state and local authorities to set up safety-boosting automatic dependence surveillance - broadcast capabilities for air tour operators in Alaska and Hawaii, areas where no radar coverage is available, and continuing participation in the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST).

HAI participated in getting ADS-B operational in the Gulf of Mexico, where full-time surveillance is now possible along with real-time weather reports - improvements which the FAA says has both increased safety and cut instrument flight rules weather delays.

As for IHST progress, Zuccaro says the industry is exceeding its waypoints for reducing the overall worldwide helicopter accident rate by 80% by 2016, the goal of the IHST when it was voluntarily established by the industry in 2005. "In no way do we claim HAI is responsible for that," he adds.

Last year, HAI brought together the four largest helicopter OEMs to sign an agreement supporting IHST safety initiatives. Zuccaro plans a similar signing with the emergency medical services industry at this year's HAI show.

Other HAI initiatives include promoting the use of safety management systems for pilots and technicians, in part to help workers decide when a mission is too dangerous too attempt. "We have to accept the fact that 'no' is an acceptable response," says Zuccaro. "Being better at deciding what [missions] we're going to do is where the magic is."

Helicopter pilot improvement requires better instructors, and HAI is working with the FAA to develop a helicopter-specific flight instructor renewal course, to be offered at weekend seminars and online. HAI also has an initiative with the FAA to sponsor a series of FAA Safety Team briefings for pilots and mechanics, three of which have been held in the USA.

RAISING THE SAFETY BAR

HAI is also planning to begin offering mission-specific safety accreditation reviews to helicopter operators under a joint effort with the international standard for business aircraft operations. Zuccaro says a draft of the accreditation programme, a code of audit-verified best practices in use largely by the fixed-wing business aviation community, will be presented at Heli-Expo. The programme is likely to be finalised by September and offered to operators next spring.

Manufacturers are playing a critical role in raising the safety bar in terms of product and culture, but also by supplying the improved pilot/machine interfaces or the pure adrenaline rush that comes with exciting new products. After a major research and development push during the past two years - a necessity during an economic down-cycle - new products were introduced and tested, and are on the verge of being revealed, both for the civil and military markets.

Eurocopter says this year it will emphasise "improving fleet safety with smaller operators", as well as in markets where it is "beginning to obtain a foothold". Over the next year it is to launch one new helicopter "for the expansion and modernisation" of its helicopter family, perform the first flight "of a major product upgrade" and certificate the EC175 heavy twin it is building in joint venture with China's Avicopter. The company also plans to validate the use of diesel engines for light helicopters and make further improvements to its noise- and vibration-reducing "bluecopter" technologies. Eurocopter chief executive Lutz Bertling expects the EADS subsidiary to deliver fewer helicopters in 2011 than in 2010, but has forecast that a more favourable mix of deliveries, in addition to a rise in services, would keep revenue at 2010 levels.

Tapping into the excitement Sikorsky generated when it flew its X2 advancing blade pusher demonstrator to 250kt (460km/h) in September, Eurocopter in December successfully achieved an interim speed milestone of 180kt for its X3 compound helicopter, a configuration Bertling says customers could first expect to see on an EC225 replacement in about six years' time. The company expects a maximum speed of about 220kt for the configuration.

INTRIGUING NEW X4 PLATFORM

Perhaps more intriguing is the company's new X4 platform, to be unveiled this year, perhaps at Heli-Expo. Bertling promises the AS365 Dauphin replacement will be "a revolutionary step forward in helicopter technology" and a "game changer" that introduces a "completely different" way of flying compared with today's helicopters. Sikorsky, meanwhile, has nearly finished its work with the X2, but the technology is being applied to two S-97 Raider prototypes the company is building over the next four years to test the advancing blade concept for a high-speed scout and attack helicopter for military applications.

Along with the Raider, Sikorsky is also readying for first flight of an all-electric S-300C-based helicopter called the Firefly, designed to remain aloft for only 15min but, more importantly, to prove various electric propulsion and control principles. As far as commercial prospects are concerned, Sikorsky executives say growth will return in 2012, partly driven by the start of deliveries of the company's new S-76D medium twin.

AgustaWestland has not been vocal about its ongoing research and technology efforts, aside from the introduction of a new AW169 4.5t class, 10-passenger Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210-powered twin at Farnborough in 2010.

The company has yet to reveal plans for the BA609 civil tiltrotor, a joint venture with Bell Helicopter. The company had expected to take full ownership of the project by mid-2010.

Bell made some intriguing news of its own in January when an internal newsletter revealed the existence of a new clean-sheet development programme called Magellan. Parent company Textron has confirmed that some of the increased research and development costs at Bell are for an "add-on" to an existing family of helicopters, presumably the Bell 429. Unlike Eurocopter and Sikorsky, Bell expects 2011 to be better than 2010 for deliveries, and 2012 even better. "We're encouraged by what we see in the industry," says Textron chief executive Scott Donnelly.

http://www.dsti.net/Information/News/64729
以色列航宇工業公司幫助印度研發無人型Dhruv旋翼機
2011-01-12
 

[據本刊近日綜合報導]以色列航宇工業公司（IAI）和印度航空公司（HAL）正在合作將印度研發的“北極星”（Dhruv）先進輕型直升機改為無人型海上旋翼機。
　　由於已經參與在Dhruv專案中，IAI已開發出了能為該型直升機提供晝夜觀測能力的綜合直升機航電元件，觀測、瞄準和電子戰設備，以及靈活的武器載入系統。
　　印度海軍想要一種無人型Dhruv，此前海軍曾對該機型的早期生產樣品的性能提出批評。據《飛行國際》的HeliCAS資料庫稱，目前印度軍方正在使用5架該型飛機（Dhruv）。
　　IAI和HAL已對“印度豹”（Chetak）直升機的無人型進行了初始測試，但現在他們的工作重點已轉到無人型Dhruv上。他們提出的解決方案將導致研發一種“黑匣子”－用其可以取代飛機的飛行員執行海上任務。
　　據一位IAI管理人員透露，Dhruv的無人型將在2011年進行一系列飛行試驗。“無人直升機的潛在客戶正在開始理解這種平臺的潛力，”他補充說。（中國航空工業發展研究中心  王傳勝）

http://www.dsti.net/Information/News/64280
Fire-X首飛帶動貨運無人機市場團隊投標
2010-12-20

    據英國《飛行國際》2010年12月16日報導] 12月10日，美國貝爾直升機公司/美國諾格公司的Fire-X完成首飛，公司期待趕上快速崛起的無人直升機市場。
　　在公司啟動該自籌資金驗證專案的7個月後，改進的貝爾407直升機在亞利桑那州的尤馬試驗場完成首飛，這僅比公司最初於5月初定的12月7日的目標晚了3天。
　　在美國海軍和海軍陸戰隊指定兩個競爭對象——波音公司的A160“蜂鳥”和卡曼航宇/洛馬公司的K-MAX——來驗證自動航行器在戰區運輸的能力後，諾格和貝爾公司以最快速度推出Fire-X概念。
　　諾格公司最初提供的型號是基於其MQ-8B“火力偵察兵”(Fire Scout)無人直升機，但該型號因運輸載荷不足而於2009年8月被海軍否決。貝爾公司稱，Fire-X能夠提供1450千克的有效載荷。按公司所宣傳的，該飛機能夠保持的航時達16小時。
　　諾格公司稱，在即將進行的驗證之後，美國海軍陸戰隊正準備於2013~2014時間框架內啟動一項自動運輸無人飛行器專案，稱為“著艦機動”。
　　去年4月，美國海軍也表示出對於在2016年之後獲得持久的（需要能夠達到76小時續航能力）、艦載無人航空系統能力的興趣。（中國航空工業發展研究中心  王妍）

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/12/16/351009/fire-x-first-flight-revives-teams-bid-for-cargo-uas.html
DATE:16/12/10
SOURCE:Flight International
Fire-X first flight revives team’s bid for cargo UAS market
By Stephen Trimble

The Bell Helicopter/Northrop Grumman Fire-X completed its first flight on 10 December, as the companies race to catch up with a quickly-emerging market for unmanned helicopters.

The maiden flight of the modified Bell 407 at the Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, comes seven months after the companies launched the self-funded demonstration programme. It was also achieved only three days after an original goal of 7 December set by the companies in early May.

Northrop and Bell have pushed the Fire-X concept quickly as the US Navy and Marine Corps have signed up two competitors - the Boeing A160 Hummingbird and Kaman Aerospace/Lockheed Martin K-Max - to demonstrate the ability of an autonomous aircraft to deliver cargo in a combat zone.

Northrop's previous offering, based on its MQ-8B Fire Scout, was rejected by the navy in August 2009 for not being able to carry enough payload. The Fire-X (concept image below) offers the ability to lift up to 1,450kg (3,200lb) of useful payload, Bell says. The aircraft also can remain airborne for up to 16h, according to the company's claims.

Beyond the upcoming demonstration, the US Marine Corps is in the formative stages of launching an autonomous cargo unmanned air vehicle programme of record called "ship-to-objective manoeuvre" in the 2013-14 timeframe, Northrop says.

Last April, the USN also disclosed interest after 2016 to acquire a persistent, ship-based unmanned air system capability, with requirements for up to 76h endurance.