New engine for AS350B2 certificated

[rotormatic]

Honeywell (Booth No. 1907) and Soloy (Booth No. 2207) have obtained an STC to install Honeywell’s latest version of the LTS101 turboshaft engine on the Eurocopter AS 350B2 AStar, and have delivered the first two converted helicopters.

 

The LTS101-700D2 engine upgrade will give the modified AStar, designated the AS 350SD2, a 14-percent increase in sea-level standard-day takeoff power (18 percent in hot-and-high conditions) compared with the LTS101-600A-3A in a previous Soloy conversion of the AS 350B2.

 

Doug Kult, Honeywell sales director for light utility helicopters, said the LTS101-700D2 is designed to the same power level as the AStar’s original Turbomeca Arriel 1D1, but with improved specific fuel consumption and reliability numbers. In this application, the -700D is derated to the AStar’s 641-shp maximum transmission power limit.

 

Honeywell attributes the improvements to a new, cooled gas producer (GP) turbine that ups GP disk life from 6,500 to 15,000 cycles, and an updated, proven reduction gear from other LTS101 models. These changes cumulatively reduce power turbine cycles by 35 percent and increase torque limits by 6 percent, Honeywell stated.

 

Soloy completed the new engine installation at its Olympia, Wash. facility and accepted 18 orders before Heli-Expo’06. Soloy booked six more on the first day of the show. “We anticipate producing more than 30 conversion kits this year,” predicted Soloy CEO Dave Stauffer.

 

Before Heli-Expo, Grand Canyon Helicopters chairman Elling Halvorson took delivery of the first AStar converted under the STC, and on Sunday Ross Scott, of Sunshine Helicopters on Maui, Hawaii, became owner of the second.

 

Soloy and Honeywell are also offering the LTS101-700D-2 upgrade with an option to purchasers for the helicopter service plan (HSP) price-per-flight hour program. Honeywell said it has continuously improved the LTS101 engine family through infusion of technologies and upgrades. This has produced a claimed four-fold improvement in reliability since 1996 while unscheduled removals and warranty claims have fallen to the lowest levels in the engine’s history.

[Guest pokey]

That engine sure had a bad reputation long ago, the early Astars had them, so did the 222, the 117 the US coast guard 365's,,,, gave them all a bad reputation too. I remember dye pen testing the turbine wheels according to the AD,,, you really couldnt verify very much-just go thru the motions & wait for the wheel to be spit out the exhaust, ( 'case ya KNOW its going to happen sooner OR later) That was back in the 80's-early 90's tho, & they must have gotten the problems sorted out.

[mrose]

My Old boss has several now and is happy that after 25 YEARS they now have a good engine.

 

I remember a day when Tessco pulled me into the office (I had recently quit heli and was now doing radio) and asked me about this wonderful new engine (we had 2 new 350 D models), I told them both ships made metal in their ferry flight and had never stopped. And that I knew WAY TO MUCH about the inside of that engine and to forget it, by the B model they are probably lieing about there supposed better HP specs anyway. They did and walked all over us with the Arriel in 350B's.

[mrose]

I thought B3 would be the one that needs new engine, not B2.

 

Finnrotor - my Old boss, (Coastal Heli Juneau, AK says the Lycoming is about 75k to overhaul vs 175K for the Arriel. Little competition may keep the $ down. Serves the French right, remember what happened to the AIII metal blade times when the Fiberglass US made blade came out? Overnight it went from 2500 to 5000hrs, same as the US time! Do you have some French machine time?

[mrose]

Oh yes, i do. Great machines!

 

I was just referring to engine problems that (AS-350) B3 has had.

 

And btw, i doubt that europeans will ever have a chance to take advantage of that new Honeywell installation, it's not JAR certified and will never be, i quess. Not because it isn't good but because markets aren't just big enough to go trough that expensive process.

 

Finn - The French are patient, want perfection and are stubborn, perfect combination to build good ships. That B3 motor has counter rotating turbines, 50K rpm each direction on a little set of needle bearings, to get the extra HP Vs the B2 motor. I didn't like what I saw. What's going on with B3's?

[vertrefadmin]

I've been curious about the B3 Engine (Arriel 2B) also. Getting parts is like trying to find the Lochness Monster. Anyone else having trouble finding parts and pieces for Turbomeca Engines (1D1 or B2)?

 

Related:

 

On November 2, 2004, at 0730 mountain standard time, an Eurocopter AS350B3, N601LN, experienced a partial power loss after takeoff followed by a hardautorotative landing into a parking lot, in Sierra Vista, Arizona. LifeNet was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 135. The commercial pilot and two medical flight crew were not injured, and the helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed for the flight that was destined for Portal, Arizona.The pilot told the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that about 10 seconds after takeoff from an elevated hospital helicopter pad, and about 250feet above ground level (agl), that he heard the engine spool down and a red Gov light illuminated on his instrument panel. The pilot lowered the collective to maintain rotor rpm and made a hard autorotative landing into a parking lot, collapsing the skids and bending the tail boom. The engine was still running at a low idle when he manually shut off the fuel and egressed the helicopter.

[mrose]

No big troubles with 1D1 parts so far, I quess we've been lucky...

 

This B3 engine thing is giving me LTS101 flashbacks, (Falling Stars) were many in those days.

 

I hope Turbomeca can swallow thier pride a little here, pending investigation of course. This is where us Americans blew it with the 101. Sorry guys, my A&P deep overhaul skirts are showing. My old boss Merril Hughes, God bless his soul, taught me the most important principal about dealing with these ships; "push them out the door with a clear conscience son and they will come home every time." He was right! God has given us this sense, hone it and defend it. We always get warning signs first. Remember the Shuttles, safety by committee is a failure.

 

MROSE

[stillspinning]

This B3 engine thing is giving me LTS101 flashbacks, (Falling Stars) were many in those days.

 

I hope Turbomeca can swallow thier pride a little here, pending investigation of course. This is where us Americans blew it with the 101. Sorry guys, my A&P deep overhaul skirts are showing. My old boss Merril Hughes, God bless his soul, taught me the most important principal about dealing with these ships; "push them out the door with a clear conscience son and they will come home every time." He was right! God has given us this sense, hone it and defend it. We always get warning signs first. Remember the Shuttles, safety by committee is a failure.

 

MROSE

 

Ive maintained the 1d1 and 2b in USFS and offshore Industry and never had a problem. Always got the parts, there very reliable and easy to maintain. Ive been around the 2b since it was new and have never heard of "problems". And the 1d1 is a work horse, why replace soemthing that is good? Its not cost effective to do so.

[stillspinning]

Stillspinning,

 

We haven't had any problems with 1D1 either, it's a very good engine. And i agree with your comment about replacing something that is good.

 

I'm not here to argue with anyone about the 2B-engine, just told u what i've heard. Like said before we don't operate those so i don't have any personal experience of that engine. But it always makes me worried to hear that a certain part has had to be changed several times without getting even near it's limit. I think that can be called "a problem"..

 

Like i said ive been around the 2b since it came out. Have never had to replace any parts before TBO and weve been running our aircraft in the two most demanding industrys. Im around the allison 250 series daily and have picked plenty of em out of the water and to this day ive never had to rescue a 2b. I would hands down choose the 2b over anything on the market now.