Lucas Aerospace Here to Talk Up Helicopter Wares

According to Lucas Aerospace, "a strong new image" is the highlight of its Heli-Expo presence this year. But people here for the helicopters can view plenty of more concrete offerings, too.

Lucas is talking up its "state-of-the-art" generator control unit for 28-volt DC electrical power generating systems. The GCU features a programmable micro-controller that allows customizing of protection and control logic. It's to be accompanied by another analog design GCU that is currently flying on such helicopters as the Bell Helicopter 412 and 212, Eurocopter BO105, Eurocopter/Kawasaki BK117, Sikorsky S-76, and the Kaman K-MAX, Lucas said.

Elsewhere in electrical hardware, the company is displaying models of its 150-, 200- and 300-ampere, 28-volt, DC starter generators. The generators perform both engine starting and power generating functions.

Lucas is also showing an externally mounted rescue hoist of a type "used extensively by the U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard for air/sea medical evacuation missions," on such helicopters as: Sikorsky's S-92, S-76, S-70; the Sikorsky/U.S. military Black Hawk 60 Series; the Bell Helicopter 430, 412 and 212; Eurocopter's EC135 and BK117; and in Japan on helicopters including the JMSDF SH-60J and UH-60J, and the JSDF UH-60J.

Also on display is a rotating, flexible-input Lucas driveshaft that transmits power from the engine to gearbox and from the gearbox throughout the tail rotor. Lucas said it's manufactured more than 135,000 aircraft shafts flying on more than 65 different airframes. The company supplies drive systems for a broad range of helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft.