After a depressing 2012, the civil helicopter industry is looking up once again. Honeywell has forecast 4,900 to 5,600 deliveries between now and 2017, and the demand is spread across all continents. Helicopter manufacturers are coming up with new designs which will factor in speed, range, passenger comfort, safety and all-weather capability, driven by a growing appetite from various verticals. The civil helicopter is increasingly finding its way into corporate aviation, tourism, medical evacuation, VIP travel, election campaigning, policing, aerial filming, advertising and photography, all of which are driving demand. According to Richard Aboulafia, Vice President of Teal Group Corporation, the offshore oil operator is one of the key drivers of demand in the civil market. He analyses that it is the upper midsize twin-segment which is the most promising part of the civil helicopter market in terms of new product development, new technology and growth potential. This zone, bracketed at the bottom end by AgustaWestland’s AW139 and at the top by Eurocopter’s Super Puma, has long been something of a hole in manufacturer product lines and that manufacturers are racing to fill the gap.

Besides offshore oil operator needs, other sectors are also finding enormous benefits in employing helicopters and the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are strategising accordingly. The five global primes in the civil helicopter segment are AgustaWestland, Bell Helicopter, Eurocopter; Russian Helicopters and Sikorsky. In Tier-II (regional players with global aspirations) are the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), KAI and Changhe Aircraft Industries. The local players and ultralight helicopter manufacturers are Denel, Robinson Helicopter Company, Enstrom Helicopter Corporation, Helibras, IAR Brasov and PZL Swidnik among others.

The OEMs are eyeing a strategic mix of military and civil helicopters globally. This is reflected in the statement of Viktor Egorov, Director, Market Analysis, Russian Helicopters, who recently stated that “the company is facing a great challenge in trying to increase its share of the global market. We will have to increase the scope of our work in the following areas: increasing the competitiveness and quality of work with the customers and development of new civil helicopters.” The share of Russian helicopters in the civil segment, according to him, is nine per cent and it has set its eyes on key markets, CIS region, India, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. New helicopters and new markets are going to be key for OEMs.

Eurocopter Leads the Market

In 2012, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No.1 helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 6.3 billion Euros ( Rs. 4,540 crore), orders for 469 new helicopters and a 38 per cent market share in the civil and para-public sectors. The company’s civil helicopter range extends from the EC120 light helicopter to the EC225 Super Puma. Eurocopter’s strong international presence is ensured by its subsidiaries and participation in 21 countries.

Eurocopter’s civil range include EC120B, Super Puma (AS332 and EC225), EC175, Dauphin (AS365 and EC155), EC145, EC135 and Ecureuil (AS350; EC130 and AS355).

At the recently concluded European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) at Geneva, Eurocopter set new standards in business and private aviation by unveiling the nextgeneration EC175 helicopter in its executive and VIP versions, which combine unparalleled elements of style and comfort with the largest cabin of any medium-sized twin-engine helicopter.

The EC175 Executive and VIP versions integrate a superior level of interior cabin creativity from Peder Eidsgaard of Pegasus Design whose worldwide reputation results from his work on business jets and super yachts. These aircraft will be Eurocopter’s top-of-the-range products in their segments.

AgustaWestland’s New Generation Rotorcraft

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, has announced that a final assembly line for the new generation AW169 helicopter will be established at its AgustaWestland Philadelphia facility in the US. The first Philadelphia built AW169 helicopter will be inducted into final assembly in May 2014 and will be delivered to the first customer in early 2015. The new production line will ramp up to produce around 20 aircraft per year by 2017.

The new AW169 production line will be scalable to accommodate production escalations based on market demand. AgustaWestland’s facilities in Vergiate (Italy) and Yeovil (UK) will also play major roles in the manufacturing activities for the AW169 programme.

More than 80 AW169 helicopters have now been ordered for a wide range of missions including corporate transport, air ambulance, law enforcement, utility and offshore transport. With all four prototypes already flying, the AW169 is on schedule to achieve civil certification in 2014.

A versatile, new generation twin-engine light intermediate category helicopter, the 10,000 lbs (4.5-tonne) AW169 has been designed in response to the growing market demand for an aircraft that delivers high performance, meets all the latest safety standards and has multi-role capabilities and state-of-the-art technology. The large spacious cabin can seat up to ten passengers. The AW169 is part of the AgustaWestland family of new generation helicopters that includes the AW139 and AW189 models, which possess the same high performance flight characteristics and safety features as well as share a common cockpit layout, design philosophy and maintenance concept.

Bel 429, New Model From Bel

Bell’s civil helicopter market share averaged around 30 per cent in 1992-98, but this has fallen to an average of 16 per cent over the past ten years. Teal Group forecasts the company’s civil market presence to an average of 13.6 per cent over the next decade.

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, is pushing aggressively its corporate configured Bell 429 which has a state-ofthe-art glass cockpit with the Bell Helicopter BasiX-Proâ Integrated Avionics System. The 429 will continue to grow its presence in Europe across all segments. Bell’s first all-new civil model in decades, the 429, is challenging Eurocopter’s strong EC 135.

The Bell 429 is one of the most advanced light twin helicopters ever developed. It delivers exceptional speed, range and hover performance, and offers operators a state-of-the-art single and dual pilot IFR helicopter with top user-rated in-service support. A fully-integrated glass cockpit with two or three multi-function displays, dual digital autopilot and an integrated electronic data recorder, help increase situational awareness and safety margins. Other safety features include a collectivemounted throttle, damage-tolerant hub and rotor system, and energy attenuating seats.

The 429’s spacious cabin accommodates one pilot and seven passengers with a quick change interior that can be converted from passenger to cargo service. The powerful and reliable Bell 429 serves the full spectrum of segments including air medical, law enforcement, oil and gas, utility and corporate aviation. The Bell 429 has been pitched in all the four mission categories, corporate, helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS), oil and gas, and para-public.

Sikorsky Ramping Up Production

With Sikorsky setting up a separate civil helicopter unit, Sikorsky Global Helicopters, the company is ramping up production to meet the growing demand for commercial choppers. The division revenues are likely to grow by 30 per cent, driven by demand for the 19-passenger S-92 in the offshore oil and gas as well as search-and-rescue (SAR) markets. Civil sales will also be boosted by first deliveries of the S-76D, the latest version of Sikorsky’s popular 12-passenger helicopter. Though delayed by several years, Sikorsky’s new S76D model looks set to continue the S76 series’ strong position in corporate and other segments.

Sikorsky has long held a strong position in two segments within the market with its S76 and S92. Remarkably, for four years in the past decade, Sikorsky succeeded in displacing Bell for the number three civil market position.

The S-76D helicopter is truly the next step in helicopter technology, setting a new standard of excellence that S-76 helicopter operators have come to expect. Power and performance are enhanced by all composite main rotor blades and optimised Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engines with dual FADEC controls. It’s quiet tail rotor allows for reduced external acoustic signature and gain acceptance with the communities where it operates.

Russian Helicopters Expanding Global Presence

Russian Helicopters is the sole Russian rotorcraft designer and manufacturer and one of the few companies worldwide with the capability to design, manufacture, service and test modern civilian and military helicopters. Headquartered in Moscow, it has design bureaus, helicopter assembly plants, components production, maintenance and repair enterprises and helicopter service company providing after-sales support in Russia and abroad.

The company’s advanced projects for the commercial market include the new Ka-226T, Ansat, Mi-171A2, Ka-62 and Mi-38. The light multi-purpose helicopter Ka-226T powered by Arrius 2G2 engine by Turbomeca, may be operated in urban conditions for high-rise construction works, patrolling as well as for police operations.

HAL’s Global Aspirations

After decades of effort, India has produced the only new market entrant of note in the world, the Dhruv advanced light helicopter. The civilian variant of the Dhruv is used for transport, rescue, policing, offshore operations and airambulance role among others. India is seeking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification for the Dhruv helicopter.

The helicopter industry is competitive and healthy. The established OEMs are working on designs to remain ahead in the race. The new models, the AW169 and 189, EC 175, S76D and Bell 429, are expected to stimulate market demand.