BLR Aerospace recently announced an FAA-certified performance increase for its Bell 212 FastFin System.
The FAA has approved a Flight Manual Supplement (FMS) certifying up to 500 pounds of additional out-of-ground effect hover performance for Bell 212s equipped with FastFin. The same approval is expected soon from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). With the FastFin System, most Bell 212 operators will increase their useful load between 10 and 15 percent.
Installation of the FastFinTail Rotor Enhancement and Stability System kit involves modifying a helicopter tailboom with two parallel strips (known as dual tailboom strakes), and reshaping the vertical fin to optimize airflow around the tailboom.
More than 75 FastFin Systems have been sold for Bell 412 helicopters since the system was FAA certified in July 2010, and EASA certification is imminent. The system’s advantages, including up to 1,250 pounds of additional in-ground effect hover, are so evident that Bell Helicopter has made the FastFinSystem standard on new Bell 412EPs.