EVERETT, WA, Jan. 23, 2006 — A fleet of 600 helicopters equipped with dual helicopter tailboom strakes from BLR Aerospace (BLR) have reached the 1 million flight-hour milestone while earning accolades from operators.
“We were the first operator to install dual tailboom strakes, and we had great success right off the bat,” said Jason Evans, chief pilot for Wildcat Helicopters.
The addition of BLR dual strakes controls airflow over the tailboom, greatly improving climb and cruise flight, hover-hold, yaw control and fuel savings on single rotor helicopters. The addition of strakes also enables operators to lift and carry significantly more payload.
“It’s extremely gratifying to see our NASA-licensed strakes technology achieve such widespread acceptance in the rotorcraft industry,” said Dave Marone, BLR director of sales and marketing. “There will always be a market for quality products that enhance performance.”
Marone and BLR Aerospace team members will be exhibiting BLR’s performance-enhancing products for civil helicopters in Booth 2531 at Heli-Expo 2006 in Dallas, Texas, Feb. 26-28. The company’s Fast Fin product, which incorporates strakes, will be shown at the convention.
“The strakes were an excellent purchase and they paid for themselves very quickly in our heli-logging operations,” said Mike Michaud, owner of Wildcat Helicopters. “We’ve also seen a significant decrease in maintenance costs for the tail rotor and tail rotor drive train.”
“We’re flying very heavy loads in the mountains,” said John Adolphson, chief pilot for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “If the winds are not just right we run out of left pedal, but with strakes installed that doesn’t happen.”
“I believe the strakes system reduces pilot workload and provides better peace of mind when you are out there flying…just knowing that we are flying something safer,” said Glen Giammalva, a pilot for Washington State DNR.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified strakes kits are available for a range of Bell helicopters. BLR designs, develops, manufactures and markets airframe aerodynamic enhancements for fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. BLR’s 15-year history of aerodynamic innovation has produced nearly 60 FAA STC approvals for after-market aircraft modifications. The company’s primary product lines involve airflow manipulation technologies; vortex generators, winglets, tailboom strakes, and specially designed products all aimed at improving aircraft performance.