Page 12 - World Airnews Magazine May 2020 Edition

The four fans on the tail fin replace the GENERAL

HELICOPTER traditional large tail rotor, part of Bell's system AVIATION
to make helicopters quieter, and potentially

more manoeuvrable. Photo credit BELL
PIPER BUILDS MEDICAL FACE
SHIELDS DURING PANDEMIC

iper Aircraft, based in Vero Beach,

PFlorida, in the USA has set up a
small assembly line to manufacture thou-

sands of plastic medical protective face

shields for area hospitals during the novel
corona virus pandemic.
It also plans to donate more than 1,300
3M-brand N95-approved masks to the
BELL'S NEW DESIGN COULD Cleveland Clinic Indian River Memorial
Hospital in Vero Beach.

Production plans for the face shields,
MAKE HELICOPTERS made from plastic, industrial tape, foam

and elastic, are growing.
What started as an idea to make 2,000
QUIETER - AND SAFER shields for the Cleveland Clinic has grown to whether Piper could assist. were awaiting another plastic shipment,

10,000 and then to more than 50,000 for ad-
expected to be delivered later that day.
Initially, Piper said it would make 2,000

ditional Cleveland Clinic hospitals in Florida.

“The challenge is to get enough plastic,” Car-

replaced them with electric wires,” Bell Also, because the system is fly-by-wire, Other hospitals are contacting Piper as well. face shields, Carlon said. lon said. “We sourced everything we could.”
“Then the hospital called and said, ‘Could
“Calls are coming in every day,” said Jack-
programme manager Eric Sinusas said. meaning controlled electrically rather than ie Carlon, Piper senior director of market- you make 10,000?’ Now, the number is likely At the same time, Piper, Vero Beach’s

ince helicopters appeared some “We realized that we don’t actually need through mechanical linkages, the computer ing and communications. to grow beyond the 50,000 in the plan, she largest employer, continues to build aircraft

S80 years ago, they’ve used a single that driveshaft and gearbox that we’ve had can control the fans. This can potentially said. The company is charging a nominal fee to but at a slower rate than normal.

In less than a week, Piper moved from
high-speed tail rotor to counteract the for the last 80 or so years.” eliminate the need for the pilot to have to use an idea to prototypes and production. cover costs but is not out to make a big profit. The aircraft are sold but many buyers can’t

torque of the main rotor, stabilizing the That transition required considerable the pedals at all. An automated version of the The company has the ability to produce “We’re doing this because it’s the right travel to Florida to pick them up. Many flight

aircraft in flight. But that rotor is both the engineering effort and high-precision soft- EDAT would thus be a form of autopilot. thousands of face shields daily as long as it thing to do,” Carlon said. schools have temporarily closed.

key source of noise for helicopters and a ware to make the system safe and reliable. Finally, the system will help with the cur- can procure the plastic it needs. That is the It is a critical time for the community, the “We’re stacking them up,” Carlon said

big safety risk while on the ground. EDAT doesn’t run off a battery, but instead rent rush toward the electrification of air- challenge,” Carlon said. country and the world, said James Funk, of the finished aircraft. Some private flight

craft, particularly air taxis being developed

Now veteran helicopter manufacturer draws power from a generator attached to by Bell and dozens of other companies. The idea to help in the fight against the Piper’s chief operations officer. “As a team, schools or dealers, however, have been

Bell has a design to replace the mechanical- the helicopter’s turbine engine. “It’s certainly a stepping stone toward virus causing COVID-19 emerged from a we can make a difference for people in able to take delivery of their new aircraft.

ly driven tail rotor assembly with four much That engine will still generate its usual electrification, and easier than doing it regular meeting, she said. Simon Caldecott, need and directly support those fighting Piper is also supporting aircraft in the field.

smaller, shrouded electric fans. noise, but the racket typically generated with a full aircraft with a completely new president and CEO, approached Piper’s the battle on the front lines of this unprece- In the meantime, the company is striving

The new system, unveiled recently after by the tail rotor - as the rotor tips pass power train,” Sinusas noted. It also should manufacturing engineers to ask what the dented crisis. This is just one small way that to keep workers as far away from one an-

footage of its demonstration leaked online, through the air at high speeds - will be be easier to certify than a fresh helicopter company might do to help. we are trying to help.” other as possible. It must balance the safe-

will greatly muffle the aircraft’s sound. It also reduced. Though Bell hasn’t yet disclosed design- less than a year versus several The engineers had been following the short- The production line, separate from ty of the employees with their livelihoods

has the potential to make helicopters safer the percentage in noise reduction, the years - because only the anti-torque system age of personal protective equipment and aircraft manufacturing, is made up of nine and the needs of business, Carlon said.

and easier to fly, and could grease the skids company says it’s “significant.” is changing and being electrified. looking for ways to help. They began discuss- employees working at least 6 ft. apart. “If we can balance it and keep them safe

for future electrified aircraft of all types. Sinusas said his team chose the four-fan The system’s generator and motors were ing face shields and found a pattern online. Piper can make 40 shields from one large and where they’re not being exposed, we’ll

Developed over the last two years and array because a single larger electric rotor developed in partnership with French In the meantime, the head of the Cleve- sheet of plastic. On March 30, workers keep working,” Carlon said, at least until there

tested at the company’s facility in Mirabel, would be heavier and less responsive, with engine manufacturer Safran, which already land Clinic hospital called Caldecott to ask completed the first batch of 650 shields and is a government mandate to do otherwise. Q

Quebec, the ‘electrically distributed an- more sluggish changes in speed. supplies engines to Bell and is developing
ti-torque’ system, or EDAT for short, resem- Smaller electric fans are also quieter, electric power train systems for aircraft.

bles a quad copter drone set vertically inside which was the primary motivation for The EDAT technology should be safer

the Bell 429 helicopter’s rear vertical fin. developing the system. “Noise has always than a conventional tail rotor assembly, UNIVERSAL AVIONICS OPENS ITS DOORS

EDAT uses the four variable-speed propel- been there, but it really hasn’t been a thanks to its minimal maintenance and

lers to function the same way a conventional priority to reduce it until recently,” he said. lubrication needs, and the fact that up

tail rotor does, by adjusting airflow through “We’re at the point where locations are to three of the four fans can fail without of Tucson, Pima County, and the Arizona “We are grateful for the tremendous

the blades to both keep the fuselage steady banning helicopter flights because of the resulting in a loss of control. It’s also safer Technology Council, and is a great exam- outpouring of support to protect our

and aim it in different directions. noise levels, and that prompted us to ask because the fan blades are shrouded and niversal Avionics has assisted ple of our community coming together,” healthcare workers and first respond-

Pilots use foot pedals to adjust this mo- how we can solve this.” they can be turned off as soon as the air- Uthe local Tucson community in said Steve Pagnucco, vice president of ers,” said Daniel Dicochea, director of

tion, allowing the aircraft to “yaw” left and Converting the tail rotor to an all-electric craft touches down, eliminating any chance protecting healthcare workers and first re- operations at Universal Avionics. Hope Worldwide’s Tucson chapter.

right while, say, in a hover. system solves other problems. It improves for bystanders to accidentally walk into the sponders during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Within one week of reaching out to “We want to equip as many of our
The new system’s trick is in the control stability because the rotors don’t need to path of a nearly invisible rotor. The company provided the non-profit our partners to see how we could help, heroes as we can against this pandemic,”

mechanism. A conventional tail rotor always be constantly in motion, unlike a conven- Bell hasn’t indicated a timeline or for group, Hope Worldwide (Tucson Chap- we had an assembly line safely set up to he said. “The production of these shields

operates at full speed because it’s mechan- tional tail rotor. the system to appear on its aircraft, or its ter), with assembly line space at their produce much needed personal protec- is only possible because of community

ically linked to the main rotor; pilots adjust The pilot can actually turn the fans off in cost - except to say that operating costs Tucson headquarters to manufacture tive equipment,” he said. donors and volunteers.”

the pitch of the blades to control airflow. forward flight, as the vertical fin they’re em- should fall because of reduced mainte- medical face masks and shields. “On behalf of Universal Avionics, I To learn more about Hope Worldwide’s

By contrast, the new electric fans control bedded within stabilises the aircraft. (Conven- nance needs. It seems likely, however, that “This plan was developed in coordina- would like to thank everyone involved mission or to volunteer to help create

airflow by operating at different speeds. tional tail rotors are only needed for hovering the biggest impact will be in simply being tion with the University of Arizona, City for their incredible responsiveness, medical face masks and shields, please

“We got rid of all the mechanical linkages and low-speed flight, but they run constantly among the first propulsion systems in the co-operation and teamwork.” visit www.hopeww.org/tucson Q

that change the pitch of the blades and because of the link to the main engine.) sky to go electric. Q
World Airnews | May 2020 World Airnews | May 2020
— 10 — — 11 —