Vector Aerospace certifies ADS-B upgrade for helicopters
Vector Aerospace has recently received approval from the European and United States airworthiness authorities for its ADS-B solutions offered for Part 27 and Part 29 rotorcraft.
In December 2016, Vector received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for its Part 29 rotorcraft ADS-B solution for the Airbus Helicopters AS332 L/L1 Super Puma, Leonardo Helicopters AW139 and Sikorsky S-76.
Simultaneously, Vector received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) STC approval to extend the approved model list (AML) its Part 27 ADS-B solutions to include the Airbus Helicopters H120/EC120, H125/AS350 and H130/EC130 light helicopter families.
Vector’s Part 29 ADS-B retrofit upgrade has already received STC approval from the national airworthiness authorities of the USA (FAA), Brazil (ANAC) and Mexico (DGAC). This STC – which utilizes the L3 Lynx NGT-9000 transponder – allows for a panel mount or remote mount transceiver, if cockpit space is a challenge.
The company’s ADS-B In/Out solution for the Airbus light helicopter family offers customers a choice between using the L3 Lynx NGT-9000 transponder or Garmin’s GTX-345 unit.
Vector’s ADS-B In/Out retrofits include a 1090 MHz extended squitter and UAT ADS-B In, and the upgrade also features Wi-Fi enabling for use with portable electronic devices (PEDs) via apps such as ForeFlight or Garmin Pilot. Installation of this ADS-B retrofit can be undertaken easily, with the associated aircraft downtime ranging from one day for simple configurations to a maximum of three days for more complex work.
“Receipt of EASA certification and the new AML STC for the ADS-B retrofit upgrade broadens our ability to offer this unique solution to customers across the globe,” said Elvis Moniz, Vice President, Business Development - Airframe & Avionics Solutions at Vector Aerospace. “This upgrade has generated significant customer interest in recent months, and we are actively supplying ADS-B kits and installation support to operators globally as the ADS-B regulatory compliance mandate date draws closer. To date, Vector has installed nearly 500 ADS-B systems in a variety of aircraft types, and we are continuing to work on new ways to offer our customers cost-effective solutions that are technically sound, well documented and well supported.”
Vector Aerospace offers over 35 modern STCs for the Airbus Helicopters AS332 L/L1 and H125/AS350, Bell Helicopter 206, 212, 412, UH-1H, 427 and 430, Leonardo Helicopters AW139, and Sikorsky S-76 and S-61 series helicopters. Vector is currently in the process of finalizing FAA STC approval for a retrofittable AS350/EC130 series crash resistant fuel tank developed in cooperation with Robertson Fuel Systems.