30 April
2004
NEWS RELEASE !! NEWS RELEASE !! NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
30 March 2004
IAC AVIATION
UPGRADES RAF'S HELICOPTER ENGINE TEST HOUSE
 IAC
Aviation of Winchester, UK, has won the contract to supply Mid-Life Upgrade
of the current Helicopter Universal Engine Test House (HUETH) facility
at RAF Odiham.
Boeing Chinook
T55 testing
RAF Odiham is home
to the UK's largest Boeing Chinook helicopter fleets. The upgrade will
provide an increase in capability to carry out full performance testing
both of the existing and new higher power and higher efficiency T55 engine
versions. The T55 is the primary power unit for the Chinook, which, at
approximately 5000 shp, is one of the highest power engines in the helicopter
fleet.
Self-sufficient
test unit
This Facility consists
of 3 individual modules which combine to form a complete Engine Test Facility
large enough to cope with the higher power levels of the latest T55 engine
mark the F714A. The facility is virtually self-contained and requires
only minimal on-site services.
The new, higher power
T55 engine demands an increase in capacity and capability of many of the
facility's features and services. Working within the constraints of the
existing envelope, no physical enlargement of the modules could be accommodated.
Examples of the key 'increases'
include: air flow quantity and quality; volume and temperature of exhaust
gas, and dynamometer/brake horsepower absorption capacity.
Several additional
requirements were also identified: an Automatic Data Acquisition System
(ADAS), improvement of operational efficiency and availability, and the
replacement of obsolescent equipment, all to be provided by IAC Aviation.
Downtime minimised
Given that the facility
is a critical resource to the Chinook helicopter fleet, minimising downtime
during the upgrade was a crucial element to the contract specification.
IAC's manufacturing facilities and capabilities have allowed for a substantial
amount of work to be completed prior to decommissioning the existing facility.
Out-of-service modules were modified in IAC's workshops prior to being
transported to site, for substitution with the existing facility modules.
David Greggor is Marketing
and Sales Support Manager with IAC Aviation. "When it comes to engine
testing you could say 'engine testing 'r' us' as we've been supplying
and supporting aircraft and engine test facilities worldwide for over
50 years. We've been supporting the MoD's
helicopter engine test facilities for nearly 15 years now and have provided
several modifications and upgrades to enable the customer to accommodate
a variety of operational requirements. This upgrade at RAF Odiham is typical
of IAC's ability to be able to react to a change in
customer circumstances. We're looking to the future too, as we do with
all test bed upgrades now, in that we also incorporate additional capacity
and flexibility for future upgrades into the work package."
Commissioning
scheduled for July 2004
Work has recently
commenced on site at RAF Odiham, with the changeover of modules already
completed. Commissioning of the facility, ready for the A-B-C cross calibration
with Honeywell's master test bed and another UK T55 test facility also
provided by IAC, are proposed by early July 2004.
ENDS
Words 451
For more press information
and for images, please contact Sally Davis in the IAC Press Office on
Tel/Fax + 44 (0)23 9266 1600 or sally@theprdepartment.co.uk
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