St. Louis, MO., December 2, 2004 – Cleaner, better-performing helicopter engines are coming to Canada.

That’s because Transport Canada (TCCA) has issued Supplemental Type Certificate(STC) SH04-46 for an Inlet Barrier Filter (IBF) system produced by Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc. (AFS) for Bell 206L-3 and L-4 helicopters. A U.S. STC SR09421RC was issued in August, 2004.

The certification clears the way for production Bell 206L-4s to fly away from the factory with the AFS system installed. The system also is available to existing Canadian commercial operators of Bell 407s, 206L-3s and L-4s.

The AFS system includes a single filter design optimized for hover and forward-flight conditions. A standard access door allows the filter to be removed and replaced quickly and easily. Filtering out more than 99 percent of dirt and sand, enhancing engine performance when compared to an inlet particle separator and providing a greater margin of safety where and when it is needed. These are all benefits any operator can appreciate, according to AFS officials.

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 1,000 systems and over 6,000 filters to military and commercial customers worldwide. Patented AFS filtration systems are now in use and have been very effective on U.S. Army OH-58D and AH/MH-6J helicopters flying in Iraq, accumulating over 300,000 erosion-free flight hours.

AFS commercial products for Bell model 407, 206L-3 and 206L-4 helicopters are distributed exclusively by Aeronautical Accessories, Inc. (AAI).

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For more information, contact:

Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc.
Jay Foster
Engineering Sales and Marketing
(636) 300-5050
foster@afsfilters.com

Aeronautical Accessories, Inc.
Rick Lewis
Vice President Marketing
1-800-251-7094
rlewis@aero-access.com