Page 24 - World Airnews Magazine June 2020 Edition

HELICOPTERS

LEONARDO SPINS UP DELIVERY

SOLUTION TO TRAVEL BANS

eonardo Helicopters is turning to
Ltechnology to enable customer
shipments despite the travel restrictions

imposed by the corona virus crisis which
have caused a build-up of completed but

undelivered aircraft at its production sites.

The Italian company’s helicopter division was
one of the parts of the business most acutely

affected by the Covid-19 pandemic during the
first quarter: civil deliveries slumped to 11

units, down on the 19 shipments it made in
the same period a year earlier.
DELIVERY BOTTLENECK HIT AW139
DURING FIRST QUARTER
Although output has largely been maintained
at pre-corona virus levels, clients have been
unable or unwilling to travel to northern Italy
to collect the assembled helicopters.

But speaking on a first-quarter earnings

call recently, Alessandra Genco, group chief similar scheme is already in operation by Navy, following the January selection of

financial officer, said the division was con- Airbus at its commercial aviation unit. the light-single as the service’s new trainer,
sidering new solutions to clear the log-jam However, although progress is being designated the TH-73A.

of undelivered aircraft, which are largely made on the initiative, she cautions not to Leonardo has a significant presence in

AW139 intermediate-twins. expect any “significant speed up” of deliv- northern Italy, which has been the part of

“In helicopters we are getting ready to eries until June at the earliest. the country worst affected by the corona
do ‘smart deliveries’ - using the digital Revenues at the division slumped year on virus outbreak.
set-up to transfer to customers all the data year by 13.4%, to €704 million or (US) $761 Despite this, the group has not fur-

relating to the final testing we have done million, contributing to a 68% plunge in loughed any of it’s around 31,000 staff in

on their machines,” she said. EBITA, to €18 million. the country, said chief executive Alessan-

“This will make them comfortable that Nonetheless, Leonardo Helicopters dro Profumo. At the end of April, 40% of its
the machine is in good shape, as if their added €1.48 billion to its backlog during employees were on site, 43% were working
own pilots had tested it, and therefore on the quarter, largely driven by the defence remotely and the remaining 17% were

that basis take delivery of the aircraft.” A sector. This included 32 TH-119s for the US absent, he said. Q
FUEL GAUGING HELICOPTER SYSTEM

primarily by law enforcement, private fibre, which makes them the lightest
owners, VIP transport and a wide array in the industry, and virtually immune

D Helicopters recently of commercial utility applications, such to corrosion, cracking, dents, or other

Mawarded a contract to as power line installation and mainte- impacts of field or environmental condi-

Liquid Measurement Systems to design nance, agricultural spraying, electronic tions. These probes are also designed to
and qualify a new crash-resistant fuel news-gathering, herding, logging, buckle on impact of crash, which keeps

them from puncturing the fuel compart-
offshore operations, fumigation and
gauging system for new deliveries of general transport. ment and causing fuel to escape.
the MD 500 series of helicopters with a The crash-resistant fuel systems are “We are pleased to have been se-

certification of airworthiness after April. rigorously designed to prevent the lected by MD Helicopters to provide a

The MD 500 series includes the MD fuel compartment from rupturing in higher level of safety for passengers and
500E, MD 520N, and MD 530F. the event of a crash or hard landing - crew who fly the MD 500N Series,” said

Qualification and testing is expected and the post-crash fire that can occur LMS president Scott Fewell.

to begin this year for installation of the when fuel and fuel vapour escape and LMS is one of Vermont’s fastest grow-
new system into the MD 500 series ignite, making an otherwise survivable ing aerospace companies, specialising in
helicopters at MDHI’s Mesa, Arizona, crash fatal. the design, development and manufac-
production facility. LMS’s in-tank fuel probes are the only ture of fuel measurement technologies

MDHI’s MD 500 series are used ones on the market made from carbon for commercial and military aircraft. Q

World Airnews | June 2020
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