News
DART unveils tech at Heli Expo
March 6, 2019 By Helicopters Staff
DART Aerospace of Hawkesbury, Ont., at the 2019 HAI Heli-Expo show in Atlanta, introduced a range of new technologies, including 240 and 260 USG (U.S. Gallon) models of the DART Firefighting Bucket scheduled to be released in the coming weeks. During last year’s HAI Heli-Expo show, DART launched its first 320 USG model of the Firefighting Bucket, which also signaled the company’s entry into the firefighting market.
Multiple units of the 320 USG model have been delivered domestically and internationally. “With buckets ranging from 240 to 320 U.S. gallons, we can satisfy a good chunk of the firefighting market,” said Steve Ghaleb, VP of commercial operations with DART.
DART explains the new 240 & 260 USG units provide operators of lighter helicopter categories, such as the Airbus AS350 or Bell Lights, with a DART firefighting bucket option, as well as larger helicopters operating in hot-and-high conditions.
H130 Landing Gear
DART introduced its H130 Landing Gear as a potential a plug-and-play direct replacement to OEM parts. Designed from an improved alloy, DART explains the H130 Landing Gear provides strong corrosion and cracking resistance.
“While all DART H130 Landing Gear components are compatible with the OEM H130 landing gear components, DART has incorporated some improvements that customers should find interesting, such as full length Wearplates and more durable aft blades,” said David Shepherd, VP of certification, DART.
DART’s H130 gear components can replace original parts individually and can also be delivered fully assembled from the factory for ease of installation. The complete H130 Landing Gear is certified for the B4 and T2 variants by TCCA, with FAA & EASA expected in the coming months.
AW139 Skylight Window
DART on March 5 officially launched of its new AW139 Replacement Skylight Window, constructed from single-layered and specially coated polycarbonate, which offers direct replacement to the current OEM laminated acrylic window.
DART’s DO-160 testing on the product included extreme temperature, vibration and operational shock tests, as well as impact tests. The company’s engineering team also subjected the Skylight to a 300-hour in-service testing period with the support of an offshore operator.
“It’s been a long journey to test and certify this product. Given the operating environment that these parts are exposed to, our R&D capabilities were pushed to the limits in order to bring an improved product to market for our AW139 customers,” said Shepherd.
AeroBrigham AMC
Also at Heli-Expo, DART announced its newst Approved Maintenance Centre (AMC) as AeroBrigham LLC, operating out of Decatur, Texas, which specializes in a variety of services for rotorcraft aircraft such as maintenance, completions, upscale refurbishments, painting and interior replacements and upgrades.
This new DART AMC will continue to service Bell, Airbus, MD Helicopters, Leonardo and Boeing Helicopters. AeroBrigham also services in the fields of EMS, Airborne Law Enforcement, SAR and Utilities & Corporate Missions.
DART’s High Capacity Cargo Net
At Heli-Expo, DART also highlighted how its certified AW139 High Capacity Cargo Nets are being used by Aeróleo Táxi Aéreo, a subsidiary of Era Group Inc., based in Rio de Janeiro.
Aeróleo has provided offshore transportation services in Brazil for over 40 years and recently enhanced its cargo carrying capacity for its 13 AW139s. “DART was at the right place at the right time to develop an effective, customized cargo net for Aeróleo’s operations in Brazil, which had met — if not exceeded — their expectations,” said Richard Plourde, DART’s director of sales for the Americas.
DART explains its AW139 High Capacity Cargo Net, which the company designs and manufactures at its primary facility in Hawkesbury, Ont., adds 30 per cent more cargo capacity and an extra 160 Ibs (72.5 Kg) to the load-carrying limit over OEM nets.
