“Honeywell’s Mark XXI and Mark XX II systems – our helicopter Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems – are specifically tailored for the dynamics of rotary-wing performance and the flight characteristics of helicopters and help prevent collisions with ground, water and obstacles,” said TK Kallenbach, Honeywell Vice President, Marketing and Product Management. “The systems provide superior and potentially life-saving information for flight crews, even when flying in changing weather with poor visibility, in rough terrain, or at low altitudes.”

Honeywell plans to obtain formal HTAWS TSO approval for its helicopter EGPWS systems this year.

“The Mark XXI and XXII EGPWS ensure that all helicopter operators, including Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) operators, have the right equipment on board to help avoid terrain and obstacles, such as towers,” Kallenbach said. “Ensuring the safety of flight crews, medical personnel, patients, and passengers is a number one concern.”

Honeywell’s safety systems for helicopters address the challenges of traffic, terrain and weather, helping to ensure safe flight and guard against Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), weather related hazards, and collisions with obstacles and other aircraft. The systems are designed specifically for unique requirements of helicopter operations.

Honeywell, which produced the first terrain avoidance system for commercial aircraft, produces a full range of aircraft equipment, from engines, auxiliary power units and other mechanical systems to Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) and avionics. Additionally, Honeywell produces the Integrated Primary Flight Display synthetic vision system.

“By incorporating a cooled Gas Producer turbine assembly, the LTS101-850 increases available power and more than doubles Gas Producer disk life to 15,000 cycles, which results in reduced operating costs,” said Doug Kult, Honeywell Director of Sales, Helicopter and Surface Systems.

“In addition to the increased takeoff power, the LTS101-850 produces an 18 percent hot day increase and a 16 percent increase in OEI (One Engine Inoperative) power,” Kult said.

Honeywell is currently working to complete the Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) needed to install the engine in the aircraft. Certification is planned for early 2010.

The LTS101 engine family has accumulated more than 10 million flight hours of operation. Honeywell has continuously invested in engine improvements through the infusion of new technologies and upgrades. As a result the engine family has demonstrated a four-fold improvement in reliability since 1996, and unscheduled removals and warranty claims have been driven to the lowest values in the history of the engine.

Honeywell offers a full range of helicopter equipment, from aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and other mechanical systems to Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) and a full range of helicopter safety systems.