‘Tech is under pressure to make helicopters silent’

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With the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) declaring 2008 as the year of helicopters, global aviation majors have descended onto the Indian market in their endeavour to grab orders from the military and civilian sectors. A key player in the race is Eurocopter—a leading helicopter manufacturing company and an arm of European aerospace giant EADS. Undeterred by the cancellation of its proposed deal to sell 197 helicopters to the Indian Army, Eurocopter’s head of Indian operations, Bruno Boulnois is seeking to consolidate its footprint in the Indian subcontinent. “We are hopeful of getting a lot of orders both in civil as well as military areas in India,” he says. His confidence arises from the global footprint that the chopper major enjoys—9,800 helicopters in service with over 2,500 customers in 140 countries. In a recent chat with Huma Siddiqui, he insists it is imperative that one invests in technologies that give reliable modern helicopters, instead of flying an electronic gadget that appear to be too fragile when exposed to severe operational conditions. Excerpts:

What new technologies are being developed in the helicopter sector?

Modern helicopters are reflecting the maturity of this high technology industry with superior performances and sophisticated integration of their on-board electronic systems. This is allowing them to fulfill multiple missions with efficiency. Consequently, R&D efforts are mainly oriented towards reducing all operational costs, respecting the environment and allowing flights in all weather conditions. Economics are measured through the life cycle cost of the product, where maintenance, crew, insurance and fuel costs are added to the acquisition cost to figure out the overall level expenses generated by the helicopter. Optimising each one of these aspects has become a key driver for technology improvements for all manufacturers.

To make the helicopter environmental friendly, it is fundamental to participate in the world effort and consciousness regarding sustainable development. In a modern helicopter, sound nuisance is already lower than the one of a city bus or a road lorry. Engine and rotors technologies are under permanent pressure to make helicopters almost totally silent.

To be totally immune to bad weather conditions is the third main R&D area for development. This would give the crew the ability to fly in complete safety, land and take off from any restricted area, whatever be the wind, clouds, rain, snow or icing conditions.

What parameters does one need to keep in mind while selecting an advanced helicopter?