Maintenance and Modifications
StandardAero Names Launch Customers for Bell Tailboom STC
Modification removes 100 pounds to increase payload capacity
An image of the tailboom modification in a maintenance hangar
© StandardAero

Aerospace aftermarket service provider StandardAero announced Agrarflug Helilift as the European launch customer and Wildcat Helicopters as the Canadian launch customer for its tailboom modification STC at Verticon on Monday. The company has received STC approval from the FAA, EASA, and Transport Canada for Bell 212 and Bell 412 helicopters.

The modification removes 100 pounds from the airframe to improve payload capacity and reduce maintenance, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based company said, noting that roughly half of the weight reduction comes from the tailboom and the remainder from nose ballast. It replaces the original composite honeycomb baggage compartment with an aluminum sheet-metal semi-monocoque design. Traditional honeycomb structures are susceptible to corrosion, moisture intrusion, and delamination, particularly in offshore and high-heat environments, according to StandardAero.