Civil Service Leveraging its fixed-wing and military products, is expanding its offerings for civil rotorcraft By Robert W. Moorman

espite the softening of civil The Honeywell HTS900 engine provides a high performance capability for the Bell 407HP, sales, Honeywell particularly at high altitude and hot ambient temperatures. (All photos courtesy of Honeywell DAerospace continues its long- Aerospace) term strategy to penetrate this sector Honeywell and Honeywell new supporting the oil and with numerous products ranging from BendixKing , sensors and safety gas business particularly are down and sophisticated avionics and sensors products are on Leonardo Helicopters’ will remain flat for the next few years. to engines, safety and -based AgustaWestland AW139, the Sikorsky The projected drop in deliveries will be connectivity technology. S-92 and S-76 variants, the Bell 429, and concentrated in the light-twin, medium- At a recent presentation, Honeywell on smaller, single-engine helicopters. twin and heavy-twin product classes. President and CEO Tim Mahoney said In addition to forward-fit products, In its 18th Annual Turbine Powered now was the time for the company to Honeywell has numerous supplemental Civil Helicopter Purchase Outlook, invest in the vertical-flight industry, so type certificates (STCs) for several Honeywell forecasts 4,300 to 4,800 as to be prepared when the oil and gas civil helicopters, including the Airbus civilian-use helicopters will be business recovers. Helicopters AS350, EC135 and Bell 407. delivered from 2016 to Among the key points in his Honeywell’s commitment to 2020, roughly 400 presentation, Mahoney noted that the the civil rotorcraft sector is laced helicopters lower company’s sales in avionics is up 6% with cautious optimism, than the 2015 five- vs. industry growth of 4%; mechanical understandably. Sales of systems is growing at 4%, compared to the industry average of 2%. To keep operations costs in line, Honeywell is cutting costs in all areas except research and development, where it continues to invest, he said. “Within the last 24 months, we’ve made a conscious shift to focus our products on the helicopter industry, not as an afterthought, but as a strategic initiative of the company,” said Tom Neumann, director of Global Commercial Helicopter Business, . Neumann is responsible for Honeywell’s $300M commercial Sky Connect Tracker III is a lightweight Iridium satellite transceiver enabling aircraft tracking and helicopter business, which includes a flight data monitoring. Combined with the optional Sky Connect MMU-II panel-mounted dialer, diverse product line. the system simultaneously supports two-way text messaging and voice telephony.

12 VERTIFLITE September/October 2016 chairman through April 2018. , who became the president and chief operating officer in April 2016, will take over as CEO. Avionics and Connectivity oneywell’s long-term commitment to the civil rotorcraft business is Hshowcased by numerous leading avionics, connectivity and propulsion products. Among those products being marketed to the civil helicopter industry is the Sky Connect Tracker III flight Sky Connect Tracker Map is a full-featured web-based map used by fleet operations centers to data recording system, which enables track aircraft, monitor flight plans, and observe sophisticated weather data. Interfaces provide two-way text messaging with aircraft and management of notifications for operational and voice, text, aircraft fleet tracking and flight data monitoring alerts. real-time flight data monitoring in a single box. The system can collect data year forecast. This is prompting fleet Significant growth in the aerospace from onboard systems and transfer them managers to “evaluate new helicopter segment began in November 1986 when to the ground operations center via purchases closely, and that’s why we’re Honeywell purchased Sperry Aerospace satellite. Tracker III can monitor airspeed, seeing a more cautious five-year demand from Unisys Corp. for $1.025B. Sperry altitude, oil pressure, torque and fuel projection compared with previous was a provider of flight controls, space flow. The system is designed to improve years,” said Carey Smith, defense and vehicles and the first FAA-certified operations, speed up maintenance and space president at Honeywell Aerospace. windshear warning system. reduce direct operating costs. Still, the forecast noted that the lull in Another key acquisition occurred in Satellite-based connectivity systems the civil rotorcraft sales is temporary. the mid-1980s when then-named Allied have until recently been the province “Honeywell is playing the long Corporation purchased Bendix of trying to attract and retain game in the helicopter market,” said and and combined them to market share through multi-part, in-flight Rich Pettibone, aerospace analyst with create BendixKing Avionics. In late 1985, entertainment systems. Now, helicopter Forecast International. “They know that merged with Signal crews and passengers benefit from these this market isn’t going to be depressed Companies to become Allied-Signal and systems as well. forever. They are getting everything in shortened the name to AlliedSignal in Whether targeted for fixed- or rotary- position when the inevitable upswing 1993. AlliedSignal acquired Honeywell wing aircraft, “the trend in the industry occurs. And when that happens, they will in June 1999 and elected to retain the is moving to having a fully connected be there to take advantage of it.” Honeywell name for its brand recognition. aircraft,” said Rick Angelo, director of In a lean-minded move, Honeywell strategic marketing, Global Commercial History and Expansion International Chairman and CEO David Helicopters, Honeywell Aerospace. M. Cote later combined three competing oneywell Aerospace today “That means the aircraft is talking to cultures of AlliedSignal, (another the ground, the ground is talking to the produces aircraft engines, Honeywell acquisition) and legacy avionics, auxiliary power units satellite and the satellite is talking to the H Honeywell to form a “One Honeywell” aircraft.” (APUs), wheels, brakes, synthetic vision structure. Although Cote announced technology, runway systems and other Honeywell’s next generation Aspire in June that he would step down in 200 satellite communications system, aviation related products. The aerospace March 2017, he will remain the executive segment is an amalgamation over the enhanced by High Data Rate (HDR) years of many companies, including Sperry, AlliedSignal, Garrett and BendixKing. The history of the Aerospace segment dates back over 100 years. The roots of its parent, Honeywell International, Inc., a multi-national conglomerate, date back to April 1886 when inventor Albert Butz invented a device called the “damper flapper,” the predecessor to the modern thermostat. Honeywell International today is composed of three groups: Honeywell Aerospace, Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions, and Honeywell The Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS), a Honeywell innovation, offers Performance Materials and Technologies. advanced safety functions for larger IFR-equipped helicopters with radio altimeters.

Vol. 62, No. 5 13 software, reduces the Other Honeywell products are making impacts of rotor blade their way onto helicopters. They include interference to create a high- the AH-1000 Attitude and Heading bandwidth environment Reference System (AHRS), the Embedded for helicopter operators Global Positioning System/Inertial worldwide. The Aspire 200 Navigation System (EGI) for military is lightweight and rugged applications, and the LASEREF VI Inertial to withstand the pounding Reference System for civil uses. of helicopter operations. Honeywell BendixKing RDR 2000 The system is now available digital weather radar provides enhanced on the AW139 and is being situational awareness, particularly marketed for other platforms. useful for EMS and offshore helicopter What was once operations. The RDR 2000 offers not only unthinkable for rotorcraft weather, but also an overlay of flight plan, a few years back is now traffic and lightning data. possible with the Aspire 200, according to Honeywell Propulsion executives. In layperson parlance, the signal is able to oneywell has taken steps to penetrate through the rotor increase support of its helicopter in the same synchronized Hengines. In addition to the military fashion as machine gun T55 engine used on the CH- rounds that successfully went 47 Chinook, the company recently signed between prop blades on a licensing agreement with McDermott World War I fighter aircraft, Aviation — ’s largest privately Neumann said. Aspire To date, Honeywell has delivered more than 2,000 helicopter owned heli-aviation company — under EGPWS units. The display provides the pilots with real time which McDermott will support the 2,930 200 provides high-speed maps of terrain. connectivity in spite of shp (2,185 kW) T55-08D turboshaft engine that powers the Bell 214B rotor blade interference. (For more on when conducting onshore and offshore “Heavy-Lifter,” which it calls “the largest, satellite-based communications and helicopter operations for the energy most powerful single engine helicopter the Aspire system, see “HUMS Over The industry, as well as for EMS operations that manufactured and operated in the world.” Horizon,” pg 32.) involve navigating through tight corridors, The T55 has logged more than 12 Honeywell is offering its Health and and over and between buildings, million hours of operation on the Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) to telecommunications towers and cables. H-47 fleet. Since its introduction in 1955, helicopter operators. HUMS sensors are Honeywell’s Mark XXII Enhanced Honeywell has produced more than 6,000 embedded diagnostic software monitors Ground Proximity Warning System T55 engines. The latest T55 provides a 22% and communicate the health and (EGPWS), a Honeywell invention, offers boost in power and a 6% increase in fuel maintenance needs of critical components advanced safety functions for larger efficiency compared with earlier versions. while the helicopter is in flight. HUMS instrument flight rules (IFR)-equipped The T55 and the T53 were originally provide operators with a range of helicopters with radio altimeters. The developed by the Lycoming Division of diagnostic tools for better maintenance Mark XXII is a “Class A” terrain awareness Avco Corporation, with more than 20,000 troubleshooting and planning. warning system (TAWS), meaning it engines produced in total. Over the Honeywell’s Primus EPIC Flight combines GPS with radio altimeter input years, the engines have been a product Management System (FMS) is being for altitude and warning prediction. At of , Garrett, AlliedSignal and now, targeted for mid-size and large twin- present, the company has delivered more Honeywell. The T53 was the ubiquitous engine helicopters. Numerous search than 2,000 helicopter EGPWS units. engine of the 1960s and 70s, powering and rescue (SAR) and emergency The BendixKing Mark XXI is the Bell UH-1/AH-1 and 204B/205A, the medical service (EMS) helicopters are targeted for visual flight rules (VFR)- Kaman HH-43 Huskie and K-MAX, as well potential users of Primus EPIC, with the equipped lighter helicopters; it’s a “Class as the Bell XV-15 and many others. Honeywell interactive navigation system. B” TAWS, using only GPS input for altitude Over the decades, T53 engines have The system allows for simultaneous and warning prediction. logged more than 50 million flight hours. display of traffic, terrain, airways, The BendixKing KRA-405B Altimeter Elsewhere on the military side, the airspace, airports and navaids. offers expanded scale for helicopter Advanced Turbine Engine Company Primus EPIC includes an Automatic operations and provides analog and (ATEC), the 50:50 joint venture between Flight Control System (AFCS), as well as ARINC 429 outputs to link with EGPWS, Honeywell and active dual and yaw damper. collision avoidance and other aircraft Corporation’s Pratt & Whitney continues A failure of any line-replaceable unit systems. development of the HPW3000 engine (LRU) prompts the dual system to Honeywell also is marketing the that it hopes will power AH-64 and UH-60 transfer control to the side that doesn’t BendixKing TRA-45A EGPWS/Radar helicopters, and possibly some of the have a problem, Honeywell said. Altimeter Indicator for displaying radar next generation Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Situational awareness and advanced altitude and EGPWS information in an rotorcraft. ATEC’s 3,000 shp (2,200 kW) navigation equipment is important easy-to-view color display. 14 VERTIFLITE September/October 2016 engine is said to be 50% more powerful that the T700 engines that power the Apache and Black Hawks currently. In September 2015, the Army issued a Request for Proposal for the more powerful and fuel-efficient engine for the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP). ATEC is competing against the General Electric GE3000 as part of the program. ATEC has run two engine demonstrators successfully and the engine has impressive capability in hot and high conditions — at 6,000 ft (1,830 m) and 95°F (32°C) — on a fully loaded helicopter. Honeywell says the HPW3000 is more full efficient than a single spool design, with 25% more growth capability and lower direct operating costs. The CTS800 turboshaft family of The HTS900 installation on the 407HP was approved through a Supplemental Type Certification engines was developed by the Light by Eagle Copters. The engine was also selected for the Marenco Swisshelicopter SKYe SH09. Helicopter Turbine Engine Company (LHTEC), a 50:50 partnerships between Swisshelicopter also chose the HTS900 (HTAWS) technology, and radar altimeters. Rolls-Royce and Honeywell. The rugged for installation on the SKYe SH09 Honeywell makes its pitch to the EMS CTS800 principal engine was developed helicopter because of hot and high helicopter community on its website: “If initially to power the US Army’s Boeing performance capabilities. you have a compliance plan in place, we Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche. The In other military-related can help you implement it. We can help powerplant features a modular design developments, the Defense Advanced you develop and implement a plan that with dual shafts, two-stage centrifugal Research Projects Agency (DARPA) minimizes cost and down time while compressor, annular , awarded a contract to Honeywell in improving the safety and operational two-stage high pressure turbine, and February to create technology to help efficiency of your fleet.” two-stage power turbine. All models are pilots with flying in a degraded visual Like their fixed-wing counterparts, controlled by an advanced, dual channel environment, or DVE. Honeywell’s rotorcraft maintenance specialists are full authority digital engine control Synthetic Vision System enhances eyeing Honeywell’s MyMaintainer FADEC system. LHTEC will supply the situational awareness by providing App, a web-based data gathering and CTS800 for Turkish Aerospace Industries pilots with a three-dimensional view of analyzing tool. The technology, part of helicopters under the Turkish Light the landing area. Honeywell’s broader plan to compile and program. analyze maintenance data, helps aircraft The LTS101 turboshaft engine can maintenance technicians obtain aircraft be found on civil platforms, such as Compliance Work health-related information faster. New the Bell 222, Airbus BK117 and AS350, ven with the lull in new civil rotorcraft versions of MyMaintainer will be available as well as the Avicopter AC311. Since sales, there are other opportunities in 2016 and 2017. The technology, which being in certified 1975, more than 2,100 Efor Honeywell: “Operators continue is available as an iPad application, is part LTS101 engines have been delivered to fly their aging aircraft and are adding of Honeywell’s GoDirect portfolio of to customers worldwide, logging over safety equipment such as HUMS, Sky subscription services. 11 million service hours, according to Connect, EGPWS, ADS-B Out and other Another opportunity for Honeywell Honeywell. products to ensure their aircraft continue is in the supply and installation of ADS-B The HTS900-2-1D turboshaft flying safely,” Angelo said. “Equally Out, which is mandated in all aircraft by engine, which comes with a full important, operators are approaching January 2020. Honeywell has obtained authority digital engine control (FADEC), Honeywell not only for safety solutions, STCs for various helicopter models, was chosen by , Alberta-based but differentiating products and services including the AS350, AS355 and EC120. Eagle Copters for retrofit on the single- to set them apart from their competition engine Bell 407HP. Eagle Copters, which in this challenging market.” Opportunities also has facilities in Australia and , To further enhance its appeal to the certified its installation of the HTS900 rotorcraft segment, Honeywell is cleverly oneywell Aerospace generates engine into the Bell 407HP, re-starting offering itself as a product provider and approximately $10B in annual a project developed initially between facilitator to help EMS operators meet the Hrevenue from an equal mix of Honeywell and Bell Helicopter in the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial and military business. 1990s. Eagle recently obtained an April 2018 Helicopter Air Ambulance In 2015, Honeywell Corp. expanded additional STC from the US Federal mandate. Operators now have fewer than its Automation and Controls Solutions Aviation Administration for the engine’s two years to equip their aircraft with flight division with the acquisition of - inlet barrier filter that enables aircraft data monitoring equipment, helicopter based Elster Group, a global provider operations in sandy conditions. Marenco terrain awareness and warning system of energy metering solutions for $5.1B, Vol. 62, No. 5 15 Plan (HAPP). HAPP provides commercial helicopters a cost-effective way of ensuring that their fleets are flight worthy. HAPP is an extended warranty program covering more than 50 different platforms. Among the HAPP benefits are: full coverage on exchange and repair services, fixed price with an annual contract, 24/7 aircraft on ground emergency service and no-charge loaners. The three-year service agreement covers a total of 17 helicopters, including the AW139 and S-76. Australian Helicopters and Toll Remote Logistics will enroll six and eight AW139 helicopters, respectively, into HAPP for Honeywell’s Primus Epic integrated avionics system. In October 2015, Honeywell signed a similar three-year agreement with A computer drawing of the AW139 as it would appear on an offshore oil rig. It is the first -based Weststar Aviation Services platform with Honeywell’s next generation Aspire 200 satellite communications system. Sdn Bhd (WASSB), an offshore helicopter services provider. from the British Melrose Industries. At the acquiring some businesses and divesting is another region Honeywell is time, Cote noted that “During the past others.” targeting for growth. A country with a decade, we have completed more than 80 Meanwhile, the Aerospace division limited domestic highway system, the acquisitions adding approximately $12B in eyes growth opportunities in , government is looking at helicopters to revenues. We will continue to look for good Latin America, the Middle East, , the service rural areas, EMS, disaster relief and acquisitions to enhance our growth profile.” North Sea, Australia, China and the Arctic. as a tool for business and government, Under Cote’s leadership, Honeywell Latin America “led all global regions” according to company sources. continues to look at ways to enhance in the rate of new rotorcraft purchases A slight increase in global civil turbine shareholder value by increasing market despite a sluggish economy in , helicopter production is expected in 2017 share, even if the odds are not always according to Honeywell’s forecast. The and a greater output in 2018, according to favorable. Middle East and Africa posted the second Ray Jaworowski, senior aerospace analyst Case in point: Honeywell’s recent highest new helicopter purchase rate. with Forecast International. Executive unsuccessful attempt to merge with More than 50% of the purchases in this transport, utility, law enforcement and United Technologies Corp. (UTC) in a region are for intermediate and medium EMS segments will show improvements $90.7B transaction. Such a deal would twin-engine helicopter models. (The by the end of this year. Oil and gas have seen Honeywell become a $100B forecast is based on a survey of more than operators should start showing behemoth with solid positions in the 1,000 chief pilots and flight department improvements by 2017. building supplies and aerospace sector. managers of companies operating Honeywell will navigate through some But UTC balked, fearing that the deal would 3,070 turbine and 360 piston helicopters rough air for the next 24 months, as will not pass regulatory muster. The proposed worldwide. The survey excluded large the rotorcraft manufacturers themselves. merger also raised concerns at Airbus and fleet or “mega” operators, which were Yet the tier one supplier’s ongoing Boeing, which felt the deal was not in their addressed separately.) mining of the rotorcraft segment is likely best interest. In February 2016, Honeywell Honeywell has been particularly active to pay big dividends by 2018… which abandoned its plan to acquire UTC. in showcasing its helicopter technology might prompt another profile of this This marked the second attempt in Australia, which has more than 2,000 opportunistic company to merge the two companies. In 2000, helicopters working in various fields. At the UTC tried to acquire Honeywell, but was Rotortech exhibition in Brisbane this May, thwarted by a competing offer from the company demonstrated its situational About the Author General Electric. That deal ultimately failed awareness tool SmartView, Aspire 200 obert Moorman is a freelance due to opposition from the European connectivity technology and its HTS900 writer specializing in various facets Union regulators. fuel-efficient turboshaft engine. Coinciding Rof the fixed- and rotary-wing air While the coupling of two tier one with Rotortech, Honeywell hosted its first transportation business. With nearly 30 suppliers failed, the plan demonstrated operator conference that included more years of experience, he runs a freelance clearly Honeywell’s determination to than 30 operators from , Taiwan, the writing business, RWM Associates. His continue its growth through acquisition US, and New Zealand. writing clients include several of the strategy. Honeywell announced deals at the leading aviation magazines targeting “The company has a well-diversified event with Australian Helicopters, Toll the civil and military markets. portfolio that enables it to mitigate risks,” Remote Logistics in Australia, and SFS He can be contacted at said Forecast’s Pettibone. “And it has not Aviation in , which signed up [email protected] shied away from refining its operations, for the Honeywell Avionics Protection

16 VERTIFLITE September/October 2016