yasin_khan
New Member
With record attendance at the 2004 Heli-Expo in Las Vegas in March, together with the resurgence of production, especially in the piston-engine field, the helicopter industry survived a year marred by the Iraq war and the SARS health epidemic relatively unscarred.
All 2004 10-year forecasts from respected industry gurus, including Honeywell, Rolls-Royce, the Teal Group and Forecast International, suggest a modest growth in the civil market with rather more buoyancy in the military field, due to extended programmes coming into production and major engine and performance upgrades. The battle has been joined by manufacturers for global market share, with aggressive strategic moves by the two main European producers to further unlock Fortress America, and gain a foothold in the potentially lucrative Chinese market. Central and Eastern Europe, where eight new countries joined the European Union (together with Malta and Cyprus) on 1 May 2004, are also being targeted.
AgustaWestland is setting up an assembly facility in Philadelphia for the A 109 Koala and has high hopes for the AB 139 produced jointly with Bell. Lockheed Martin is leading the team bidding for the now delayed presidential helicopter programme with the US101, an Americanised version of the three-engined EH101. If it wins, it could be the springboard to further orders, both civil and military, but it is challenged strongly by Sikorsky with the S-92, which is beginning to make progress following the first delivery during Heli-Expo. Eurocopter, already firmly established in North America, announced that it is setting up an assembly line in China for the EC 120B Colibri light single, to be known there as the HC 120, and has also agreed the manufacture of 100 EC 135s in Romania. Sikorsky is also testing the water in China through its joint venture with Little Eagle, assembling Schweizer helicopters, while Enstrom continues to struggle with Chinese bureaucracy but expects to conclude a deal with Wuhan soon.
Bell's attempts for co-production of the AH-1Z combat helicopter in Turkey receives setback after setback, but Sikorsky may have more success with its proposal for local production of the Black Hawk. The cancellation of the US$39 billion Comanche programme and continuing difficulties with the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor have revived suggestions that Boeing may be forced to merge with Sikorsky. However, this may be more wishful thinking on the part of proponents for further consolidation in the market, rather than on realistic possibilities. Much will depend on fluid US Army plans for new helicopters.
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/news/jhms/jhms040930_1_n.shtml
All 2004 10-year forecasts from respected industry gurus, including Honeywell, Rolls-Royce, the Teal Group and Forecast International, suggest a modest growth in the civil market with rather more buoyancy in the military field, due to extended programmes coming into production and major engine and performance upgrades. The battle has been joined by manufacturers for global market share, with aggressive strategic moves by the two main European producers to further unlock Fortress America, and gain a foothold in the potentially lucrative Chinese market. Central and Eastern Europe, where eight new countries joined the European Union (together with Malta and Cyprus) on 1 May 2004, are also being targeted.
AgustaWestland is setting up an assembly facility in Philadelphia for the A 109 Koala and has high hopes for the AB 139 produced jointly with Bell. Lockheed Martin is leading the team bidding for the now delayed presidential helicopter programme with the US101, an Americanised version of the three-engined EH101. If it wins, it could be the springboard to further orders, both civil and military, but it is challenged strongly by Sikorsky with the S-92, which is beginning to make progress following the first delivery during Heli-Expo. Eurocopter, already firmly established in North America, announced that it is setting up an assembly line in China for the EC 120B Colibri light single, to be known there as the HC 120, and has also agreed the manufacture of 100 EC 135s in Romania. Sikorsky is also testing the water in China through its joint venture with Little Eagle, assembling Schweizer helicopters, while Enstrom continues to struggle with Chinese bureaucracy but expects to conclude a deal with Wuhan soon.
Bell's attempts for co-production of the AH-1Z combat helicopter in Turkey receives setback after setback, but Sikorsky may have more success with its proposal for local production of the Black Hawk. The cancellation of the US$39 billion Comanche programme and continuing difficulties with the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor have revived suggestions that Boeing may be forced to merge with Sikorsky. However, this may be more wishful thinking on the part of proponents for further consolidation in the market, rather than on realistic possibilities. Much will depend on fluid US Army plans for new helicopters.
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/news/jhms/jhms040930_1_n.shtml