Columbia to partner with Piasecki on 107 upgrade

Columbia’s venerable Model 107-II is to get an upgrade carried out in association with Piasecki. Photo: Columbia Helicopters

Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC) and Columbia Helicopters have announced a collaboration to upgrade existing Model 107-II (CH-46) tandem rotor helicopters. According to the partners, the new variant, designated the Model 107-III, Will be quite a different beast from the -II since the upgrade includes CT-58 engines with 25% more power, glass cockpit, improved AFCS autopilot, improved low maintenance rotor system, Health Monitoring System, multiple fuel configuration resulting in an aircraft that is ‘more fuel-efficient, powerful and robust’

As the owner of the Type and Production Certificates, Columbia has overall responsibility for the aircraft certification and production. Aircraft will be inducted at PiAC’s Helicopter facility, PiAC will strip the aircraft down, removing a transmissions, drive system, rotor heads and blades. These will be sent to Columbia’s Aurora facility for refurbishment. Meanwhile, PiAC will inspect and zero time the airframe, make repairs as required, fabricate and install new wire harnesses, cockpit and other systems. The aircraft is painted and put through ground and flight tests in support of customer acceptance and delivery at Piasecki’s Heliplex facility in Pennsylvania, the former site of Sikorsky’s S-76 and S-92 production lines which it acquired last year. In addition, Oregon-based CHI intends to establish an East Coast base at the Heliplex, which will include an FAA Part 145 MRO capability.

“We are thrilled to partner with Columbia Helicopters, a company that shares our heritage with the tandem helicopter and our commitment to innovation and excellence in the rotorcraft industry,” said John Piasecki, CEO of Piasecki Aircraft, commenting on the announcement. “This collaboration represents a significant step forward in the evolution of tandem rotor helicopters and promises to deliver enhanced capabilities to a wide range of military and civil applications. We look forward to working together to advance the future of this vertical lift technology and generate hundreds of jobs for our communities.”

Meanwhile, Columbia CEO David Balletic added, “The new Columbia Model 107-III will transform the heavy-lift helicopter market, providing unrivalled performance and versatility for our customers. We are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and together with our partners at Piasecki, will deliver enhanced heavy-lift aircraft that save lives, protect nations, and build industries for decades to come.”