BLR Aerospace today announced that the first factory installation of an Airbus Helicopters H125 FastFin® System has been completed and the aircraft will be delivered in June to Heli-Austria. The company also announced that 25 Airbus Helicopters Customer Centers worldwide have been authorized to sell and install the FastFin System.

Heli-Austria is a long-time FastFin System supporter operating FastFin Systems on its H125 and Bell medium helicopters, according to Roy Knaus, President of Heli-Austria. “The H125 Systems we are already flying with are operating very well,” Knaus said. Heli-Austria aircraft routinely operate between 7,000 and 10,000 feet but sometimes reach altitudes of 13,000 feet performing a range of vertical reference work, including logging and construction. “FastFin is beneficial in all regimes, but we consider it essential for high-altitude operations,” Knaus said.

Thirty H125 FastFin Systems have been sold to date and are operating in seven countries. More than 1,100 FastFin Systems are flying worldwide.

“We are excited to work with BLR to offer our H125 customers worldwide the FastFin System for both factory installation and retrofit,” said Axel Aloccio, head of the H125/H130 program at Airbus Helicopters. “The FastFin system enhances the H125 performance in hot and high conditions and further reinforces the superiority of the H125 in the single-engine helicopter market.”

“We are pleased to partner with Airbus Helicopters and Heli-Austria to make these milestones possible,” said BLR President Mike Carpenter. “It’s gratifying to see the growing acceptance of FastFin-equipped aircraft around the world,” he said.

The H125 FastFin System uses advanced airflow management to increase the effectiveness of the H125 anti-torque system for significant increases to useful load and aircraft stability, especially in hot/high conditions. Benefits include a useful load increase up to 120 pounds and a 10 percent improvement in pedal margins.

BLR will exhibit its FastFin System in Exhibit C2150 during HAI HELI-EXPO 2018 Feb. 27 – March 1 in Las Vegas.