Brazil’s first Super Panther helicopter passes muster
The programme to modernise AS365 K Panther helicopters for the Brazilian Army Aviation (AvEx) to the K2 version has reached a new milestone, with the technical-operational evaluation of the first upgraded aircraft successfully completed in August.
The programme, being carried out by Airbus Helicopters’ Helibras subsidiary, will see 34 AS365 K Panther helicopters upgraded to the K2 version – known as Super Panther – with more powerful engines, new avionics and radio-communication systems, and night vision technology.
According to the company, the first upgraded aircraft demonstrated 98% availability in the evaluation phase, during which the aircraft performed around 150 different missions and flew 220 flight hours in 12 Brazilian cities.
Marco Wagner, manager of the Panther modernization program, Helibras, said: ‘These test flights allowed the Brazilian Army to prove the operational gains of the K2 helicopter compared to the previous version, such as reduced pilot workload, reduced transfer time, greater autonomy and increased safety for crews.’
Helibras is on track to deliver two helicopters this year, four more in 2015, and then six per year until all 34 are upgraded by 2021.
The modifications made to the Panther’s design were performed by Brazilian engineers, and most of the new equipment and systems were supplied by Brazilian companies. The aircraft is the first helicopter fully certified in Brazil by the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology of the Institute of Industrial Promotion and Coordination.
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