Enstrom 480

The Enstrom 480 is a five-seat, single-engine helicopter of the U.S. company Enstrom Helicopter Corporation turbine powered.

History

The United States Army was to replace the outdated annual UH -1 in the years 1989 to 1993 in search of a new training helicopter for the United States Army Aviation School at Fort Rucker in Alabama and launched the tender for a new helicopter under the name NTH (New training helicopter).

In 1988 Enstrom led by market analyzes and design studies for a turbine-powered, larger helicopters and participated in this tender procedure alongside other manufacturers (eg Schweizer Aircraft Corporation, Bell Helicopter, Aérospatiale ) for up to 200 pieces part. As a basis, the Enstrom 280FX which was an Allison 250 - C20W turbine shaft instead of Lycoming piston engine, got the cabin was enlarged, installed three seats, two front seats with dual controllers ( teacher / student ) and a rear seat. Furthermore, it was the instrument panel increases, increasing the rotor diameter, aerodynamic optimizations performed, installed larger horizontal and vertical tail fins, and even designed among other things, a bigger landing gear. In this configuration, it was possible to form two student pilots for IFR and VFR simultaneously.

This prototype ( N8631E ) first flew on October 7, 1989, was approved on 11 September 1992 by the Federal Aviation Administration in accordance with FAR Part 27. The former CEO of Enstrom Robert M. "Bob" Tuttle confirmed a total price of U.S. $ 91 million for 157 pieces of the TH- 28th The supplement was issued in 1993 at the Bell TH -67, were ordered by the 137 piece.

The project was continued as a civilian version called Enstrom 480, for which purpose the instrument panel has been reduced in size and double the control device is removable. Furthermore, a luggage room was installed. For the Enstrom 480 were in the standard as Original price 1994 460,000, 2009 800,000 and in 2011 about 1,070,000, - U.S. dollars to pay for.

Construction

As with all Enstrom helicopters, the protected from environmental influences swash plate from the outside is not visible under the main gear, the driving of the rotor blades by means of push rods through the hollow rotor mast. The fully articulated 3-blade main rotor is constructed of all-metal and a torque balance is a 2- blade tail rotor. The spacious cab of the Enstrom 480 can accommodate up to five people including the pilot, the seat configuration can be customized.

Versions

Specifications

(Manufacturer's data for the Enstrom 480B )

Similar types of helicopters

Enstrom F-28 Allison Model 250 Visual flight rules Federal Aviation Regulations Chief Executive Officer Swashplate (aeronautics) Helicopter rotor Pound (mass) Knot (unit) Gallon Eurocopter EC120 Colibri Sikorsky S-434
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