Portland, Oregon March 3, 2020-Erickson Incorporated, the world's leading general aircraft operations, maintenance and manufacturing company, today announced that the company's latest generation of composite main rotor blades has passed the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) approval.
Composite main rotor blades(CMRB)
Erickson has many years of experience in manufacturing metal blades. In order to make the S-64 rotorcraft a more successful future, the company designs and manufactures composite main rotor blades and actively obtains relevant certifications. In all respects, this move will create huge benefits for the company. Erikson has been designing new blades since 2008, working closely with FAA and partners in various industries. In 2013, the company reached a partnership with Helicopter Transport Services (HTS), and the CH-54 rotorcraft will also be able to use this type of blade. To maintain tight control over the blade manufacturing process, Eriksson built a new composites manufacturing plant in 2015. After thousands of hours of design, testing and analysis by the company's engineers and partners, the new composite main rotor blades have finally come out and have now been approved by the FAA for use in the S-64E. The service life will be extended. It is expected that this blade will be approved for CH-54A in the next few weeks, and S-64F and CH-54B certification will be obtained this summer.
Erickson CEO Doug Kitani said, "The success of the composite main rotor blades demonstrates our continued commitment to modernize the S-64 Air Crane® helicopter and traditional fleet with the latest generation of innovative technologies. We provide both aerospace components for OEMs and an aerospace operator, and we are constantly working to find new and reliable solutions that enable our customers to enjoy longer, safer and most cost-effective flight services.
Erickson Profile
Erikson is the world's leading provider of aviation services, focusing on defense and national security, manufacturing, maintenance and overhaul (MRO) and civil services. The company's manufacturing and MRO services include production of the S-64 Air Crane® helicopter as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and the supply of key aerospace components to aerospace original equipment manufacturers. Commercial flight services include the operation of 20 company-owned S-64 Air Crane® helicopters for heavy-duty lifting tasks for fire protection, power line construction, logging, HVAC, and oil and gas. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with a footprint in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Australia.