BLR Aerospace is working with Airbus Helicopters to certify the FastFin® Tail Rotor Enhancement and Stability System on an H125 helicopter, the company announced today.

Proof of concept flight tests were successfully completed in 2015. BLR is nearing the end of its certification flight test program and is on track for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification of its new H125 system later this year. Approvals from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC) are expected to follow.

Once certified, the system will be offered to the aftermarket and as an option on new H125s, according to Dave Marone, BLR’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

“We have been fortunate to work cooperatively with a world-class technical team from Airbus Helicopters in exploring the applicability of FastFin to the H125,” Marone said. “Their support has been instrumental in reaching this important milestone.”

BLR’s flight test program demonstrated that FastFin is well suited for the H125 and delivers important operating benefits, including improved wind azimuth tolerance and additional useful load in
hover. Detailed performance data will be available once certification occurs, Marone said.

The FastFin system includes patented airflow modifiers at strategic locations on the tailboom, optimizing airflow around the tailboom to create an advantageous pressure differential between the left and right sides of the tailboom, dramatically improving tail rotor authority.

“FastFin is a proven power, performance and revenue-enhancing technology,” Marone said. “We look forward to introducing it to the H125 operating community.”

One-thousand of BLR’s performance-enhancing FastFin systems have been installed on an assortment of commercial and military helicopters since the first system was certified more than a decade ago. The system is also standard, factory-installed equipment on all new Bell 412EP and EPI helicopters.

The company invites guests to visit the BLR Aerospace exhibit (4545) throughout Heli-Expo, March 1-3 in Louisville, for more information.