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AEROSPACE AUTOMOTIVE BUILDING RAIL ELECTRONICS MEDIA & PR |
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The Superform process had already been tried and tested by Westland Helicopters, so when a project to make plinths for the Sea King came up, they knew who to call. Initially the Engineers looked at fabrication for this job but the competitive tooling costs and the repeatability of product were the deciding factor in selecting Superform.
Above: The forward plinth part and in position on the aircraft This project involved the manufacture of plinths for sensors which detect any Radars that may be scanning the aircraft. The forward plinths are mounted on the nose, just below the windscreen. The aft plinths sit low on the rear of the Aircraft’s ‘bath tub’. Above: The aft plinth part and in position on the aircraft Precise positioning on both sides of the Aircraft of all four plinths necessary for optimum performance is achieved using laser alignment jigs together with the more traditional theodolites. There are several members of the Sea King family, all of which have specific talents and uses. The Sea King was initially developed in the late 1950’s under licence from Sikorsky. Westland first produced the S-61 as an antisubmarine warfare helicopter or Helicopter Anti-Submarine (HAS) for the UK Royal Navy. The Sea King is also operational as a Search And Rescue (SAR) and Airborne Early Warning (AEW) helicopter. The Commando Sea King is a variant of the family and was initially produced to respond to a need for a Utility Support Helicopter for export. A large number of these aircraft have been delivered with the ‘Sea King HC Mk4’ serving with the UK Royal Navy to support amphibious operations. A formidable warrior, the Sea King can carry torpedoes, depth charges and anti-ship missiles. Powered by two Rolls Royce Gnome turbo shaft engines, the Sea King is capable of holding up to 3,700 litres of fuel giving it a range of 1,500km. Over 300 Sea Kings are currently in service with the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Navies of Australia, Egypt, Germany, India and Pakistan and the Air Forces of Belgium, Egypt, Norway and Qatar. The Westland Team stated that “This turned into a more complex project than initially anticipated with a large learning curve for all parties but the finished article certainly 'looks fit for purpose' on the aircraft”. They are now considering Superform for an upcoming Sea King project which will be applied to a multitude of the Aircraft’s Marks. |
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