Page 27 - Australian Defence Magazine April 2019

JULIAN KERR
Asia Pacific Aerospace (APA), a privately owned Australian SME, specializes in the maintenance of small to medium gas turbine engines. Based in Pinkenba, adjacent to Brisbane International Airport, APA is a General Electric (GE) Authorized Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) facility for T700 engines and Rolls- Royce Authorized Maintenance Centre providing a full range of services to operators of Model 250 and RR300 Series powered aircraft.
APA offers comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul services of all General Electric T700 and Rolls Royce M250 and RR300 series gas turbine engines.
Specialist knowledge
Engine OEM Correlated Diagnostic Technology Parts and Service
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AS 9110C Accreditation, AS 9110 - 00015554-001
ADF approved Authorized Maintenance Organisation.
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Business Address:
750 Macarthur Avenue Central Pinkenba 4008 Qld Australia
Phone: +61 7 3632 7600 Fax: +61 7 3632 7677 Email: info@apaero.com.au
Machine gun
on Taipan sorted
JULIAN KERR | AVALON
A DILLON Aerospace M134D six-barrelled 7.62mm minigun inside the port sliding door of an Army MHR90 Taipan on static display may have appeared relatively innoc- uous. However, it was the first prototype of a mounting intended to solve an extended debate over where and on what the Taipan’s self-defence machinegun should be located.
On the S70A-9 Black Hawk, being re- placed by the Taipan for Special Forces mis- sions, its MAG 58 7.62mm general purpose machinegun is fired from the window. On the MRH90 it was initially intended to be fired out of either the port or starboard doors, through which troops might concur- rently be fast roping or rappelling.
This was understandably declared unsafe, but a solution to suit operational circum- stances and space and weight constraints has been some time in emerging.
Working under a subcontract to Air- bus, Nova Systems has now developed a mounting that is placed on the side of the door rather than the middle, allowing the M134D minigun already equipping Army’s CH-47F Chinooks to be folded inside the aircraft and then deployed for operational use. The mounting also fits the MAG 58.
Unlike the MAG 58, the M134D re- quires power to sustain its high rate of fire, and this is provided by a battery. Nova’s Jeff Perry said testing of the prototype mount- ing, manufactured by Brisbane’s Ferra En- gineering, was underway and he anticipated the unit entering service on the Taipan within months rather than years.
www.australiandefence.com.au | April 2019 | 27