St. Louis, MO., Nov 13, 2006 – Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc. (AFS) has received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for an Inlet Barrier Filter (IBF) system for the AgustaWestland A119 Koala helicopter. The approvals clear the way for Koala operators to maximize engine protection while reaping performance and maintenance benefits utilizing proven technology.

The Koala IBF system features three flat filters incorporated into a compact structural housing assembly that literally slips in and replaces the current FOD screen assembly. The upper filter functions as the bypass door and allows internal inspection when required. An integral filter maintenance aid allows for on-condition inspections between established cleaning intervals of 300 hours, eliminating unnecessary service. Filter assemblies are certified for 15 cycles of 300 hours or one year for a maximum life of 4,500 flight hours (service life is a function of the operating environment). A simple compact cockpit switch allows indication and activation of the bypass system.

Due to the unique design configuration of the Koala IBF and its inherent performance and design characteristics, flight operations are unrestricted in all environments including falling and blowing snow. No performance penalties are imposed with the system and use of baseline aircraft inlet performance charts are authorized.

“Our mission was to provide a system that had minimum installation impact and provided maximum performance benefits,” said Michael Scimone, president of AFS. “Our Koala IBF satisfied both AFS’s and AgustaWestland’s design requirements and provides Koala operators with the best solution for inlet protection.”

In addition to certifying the Koala IBF system, AFS has also certified a replacement FOD screen assembly that totally replaces the original one piece design. Three separate and removable FOD screens make access to the engine plenum easy and allow component replacement for damage. One of the biggest IBF and FOD screen design challenges was incorporation of a forward and aft firewall, having to satisfy all of the FAA’s fireproof and burn through requirements while using the maximum amount of common components between each configuration.

AFS IBFs filter out more than 99 percent of dirt, sand, ash and fine particulates. Our filters actually enhance engine performance when compared to traditional particle separators, delivering more engine temperature margin (thus more load-carrying capacity), and providing a greater margin of safety. Barrier filter technology applied to turbine engine inlets provides a substantial return on investment (ROI) for operators, plus performance improvements on many platforms. In most cases, turbine engine components are life-limited parts, but seldom reach their design lives. With a barrier filter installed, these expensive components are able to survive multiple overhauls. The ROI for a barrier filter system is easily attained within one engine overhaul cycle, even in a relatively clean environment.

AFS is the industry leader in the design, development and manufacture of high-performance engine IBF systems for commercial and military propulsion systems. AFS has delivered more than 2,500 systems and 15,000 filters to military and commercial customers worldwide. In addition to the AgustaWestland A119 system, the company also produces certified commercial IBF solutions for the Bell 206B (OH-58A/C), Bell 407, Bell 206L-3/4, Bell 206L-1(C30), MD Helicopters MD 369 (MD 500H/D/E/F Series) and Eurocopter AS350 (Honeywell/Soloy powered D/SD/SD2). IBF systems for the Bell 205A1 (UH-1H), MD Helicopters MD 900 Explorer, Eurocopter EC-130, and Eurocopter AS350 (Arriel powered B/BA/B1/B2/B3) are in development with U.S. FAA with certification expected in the next several months.

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For more information, contact:

Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc.
Sales and Marketing
(636) 300-5200
sales@afsfilters.com
www.afsfilters.com