Products
DART’s Round-I-Beam Skidtube

Sept. 9, 2009 – DART Helicopter Services is pleased to announce that their affiliated partner, DART Aerospace Ltd., has received FAA certification of the Standard and Float Round-I-Beam™ Skidtubes for the Agusta Westland A119 / AW119MKII aircraft.  Transport Canada and EASA approvals are pending.

Standard and Float Round-I-Beam Skidtubes

DART created the Round-I-Beam™ Skidtube because conventional skidtubes are under-designed for the types of landings most helicopters encounter.  Conventional skidtubes are ill-equipped to face the critical loading conditions encountered when landing on uneven ground, rocks, tree roots, and other small objects.  Under these conditions, simple round tubes tend to puncture, dent and bend because they cannot maintain their shape. 

DART’s revolutionary patented Round-I-Beam™ technology combines the conventional round tube with the strength of the I-Beam made from 6061-T6 aluminum. 

The central I-beam web absorbs most of the impact on landing so the tube maintains its integrity.  Even with the addition of a central web, there is minimal weight increase compared to conventional OEM skidtubes. 

The DART Round-I-Beam™ Skidtube was designed to accommodate the extreme conditions involved in military use.

For the A119/AW119MKII, DART designed both a standard skidtube and a one-piece float skidtube with extension.  The float skidtube is pre-drilled for compatibility with Apical floats and the integrated extension eliminates the necessity for a separate float extension. 

DART standard and float skidtubes for A119 and AW119MKII are available in three configurations:

• Wearpads: lightest weight (6 tungsten carbide welded wearpads intermittently installed at key locations)
• Full length wearplates and wearpads (3 full length wearplates and 6 tungsten carbide welded wearpads intermittently installed at key locations)
• Run-on landing wearplates: best protection (2 full length wearplates with heavy tungsten carbide weld, thru-bolt installation)

The DART Round-I-Beam™ Skidtube

• Up to 10 times more resistant to damage
• Full length stainless steel wearplates with tungsten carbide welds and gaskets to prevent galvanic corrosion
• Manufactured from 6061-T6 aluminum that can be repaired by welding
• Reduce your inventory – DART replacement skidtubes are LH / RH interchangeable
• Compatible on OEM crosstubes
• Float compatible skidtube design also available; pre-drilled for Apical Floats.

“DART recognized the helicopter industry’s need for an alternate source for A119/AW119MKII skidtubes.  Other DART products for A119/AW119MKII aircraft have been well received and we have a loyal customer base that had a need for an economical provider of landing gear components.  In response, DART has expanded our skidtube product line to include the A119 and AW119MKII aircraft and we have developed several wearplate/wearpad configurations to best meet our customers’ specific operational requirements.”  Quote Bill Beckett, General Manger, DART Aerospace Ltd.