Features
MRO
DART announces certification of lightweight bearpaws
March 13, 2012 By Carey Fredericks
March 13, 2012, Oceanside, Ca. - DART Helicopter Services (DHS) is pleased to announce Transport Canada, FAA, and EASA approval (Brazilian & Japanese approval for 206L and 407 Series) of DART Aerospace Ltd.’s (DAS) Lightweight Bearpaws for Bell 206L and 407 Series and 429 aircraft.
DART has developed a new lightweight UHMW Bearpaw that has a larger footprint for additional support in soft terrain. However weight savings has not come with a sacrifice in performance.
The new lightweight DART Bearpaw still features a one-piece construction that ensures consistent and deliberate load transfer. The material resists cracking, chipping and breaking and is flexible so it can deflect under high-point contact loads and has memory that allows it return to its original shape after take-off.
For superior anti-slip and wear protection, the new lightweight Bearpaws include tungsten carbide welded wearplates and wear bars.
Product Features:
• 15% reduced weight to area ratio compared to traditional UHMW Bearpaws of equivalent footprint
• 40% larger footprint than other available Bearpaws
• Includes Tungsten carbide welded wearplates and wear bars for anti-slip/wear protection
• Easy installation
• High strength polymer with memory, deflects under critical point loading without failure and returns to original shape when unloaded
“DAS recognized that weight concerns continue to be a major concern for helicopter operators. To address this concern and better support our customers, we developed the new lightweight Bearpaws,” said Bill Beckett, DART VP Canadian Operations.
