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Global blade market to reach $1.6 billion by 2022: report

The report is broken down helicopter type (civil, military, and civil/military), by engine type (turbine and piston), by blade location type (main rotor and tail rotor), by design type (symmetrical and under cambered), by material type (carbon composites, hybrid composites, and others), by anufacturing process (sandwich construction and others), by end-user type (OE and aftermarket), and by region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW), trend, forecast, competitive analysis, and growth opportunity: 2017-2022.

This 280-page strategic report studies the blades market in the global helicopter industry over the period 2011 to 2022. The report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market.

As per Stratview Research, the global helicopter blades market offers a healthy growth opportunity of 4.5% CAGR during the forecast period of 2017 to 2022 and reach an estimated $1.6 billion in 2022. The author of the report stated that increasing deliveries of helicopters, advancement in the blade technology such as electric tail rotor systems, continuous shift from heavy metal blades to lightweight composite blades, and rising helicopter fleet size are some of the major growth drivers of the global helicopter blades market.

The research’s findings suggest that military and civil/military segments currently dominate the helicopter blades market, driven by high deliveries of helicopters and large fleet size. However, civil and the parapublic segment is projected to witness the highest growth during th forecast period, driven by increasing demand for light single-engine and intermediate & medium twin-engine civil helicopters.

In terms of material type, composites are likely to remain the largest and fastest-growing material type during the forecast period. The materials’ potential in structural applications has been recognized since long by the Helicopter manufacturers. Major players are increasingly adopting composite blades in their upcoming models. At the same time, there is also an increasing demand for composite blades in the aftermarket.

Based on blade location type, main rotor blade is projected to remain the largest type during the forecast period. Both main rotor and tail rotor blades are likely to witness similar growth over the next five years. There is an increasing penetration of composite materials in both the blade types.

In terms of region, Europe is projected to remain the largest and fastest-growing market for helicopter blades market during the forecast period. The region is the manufacturing capital of the helicopter industry with the presence of Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo Helicopters, and Russian Helicopters. All the major helicopter manufacturers are producing blades in Europe only.

There are independent rotor and tail blade manufacturers as well as OEMs with in-house blade manufacturing capability. The key helicopter blade manufacturers are Bell Helicopter, Boeing Helicopter, Carson Helicopters, Airbus Helicopters, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Kaman Aerosystems, Robinson Helicopter Company, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, and Van Horn Aviation. New product development, collaboration with OEMs, and long-term contacts are the key strategies adopted by the key players to gain a competitive edge in the market.