Genesys Aerosystems announced that it has received Supplemental Type Certification for the VFR HeliSAS Autopilot and Stability Augmentation System on the Bell 505. The company describes the VFR HeliSAS for the Bell 505 as an extremely lightweight and affordable stability augmentation and autopilot, and the only solution currently certified in light to medium helicopters.
Features of the technology include straight and level flight recovery as well as Navigation following through all phases of the flight plan, Heading Hold, Altitude Hold, Indicated Airspeed Hold, and Vertical Navigation which allows for the capture of ILS or GPS approaches. HeliSAS for the Bell 505 also offers a new feature of envelope protection for over speed and under-speed and includes an option for Yaw control.
“Flight into Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Condition (IIMC) is one of the highest contributors to accidents in helicopters and VFR HeliSAS is the ideal co-pilot to ensure these events are minimized,” said Jamie Luster, director of sales and marketing, Genesys Aerosystems. “Genesys has delivered over 1,200 HeliSAS systems, and I get chills every time I hear a testimony from a HeliSAS owner that the system has saved their life and the lives of others.:
The Bell 505 VFR HeliSAS is available as a retrofit option in the field through a Genesys Aerosystems approved dealer or as a forward-fit option from Bell. Current retrofit pricing for the Genesys Aerosystems HeliSAS on the Bell 505 is US$70,259 for 2-axis and US$85,259 for 3-axis. Pricing includes all equipment required, along with the installation kit; pricing does not include installation of the equipment.
