Rotorcraft
After Long Pause, Enstrom Eyes New Deliveries
The OEM looks to ramp up production on its 480B and 280FX models
Enstrom Helicopters production facility
With a crucial FAA certification in its pocket and two others pending, Enstrom Helicopters expects to resume deliveries of new rotorcraft after a pause of several years.

Following the FAA’s and EASA’s certification of a crash-resistant fuel system (CRFS) on its 480B turbine helicopter, Michigan-based Enstrom Helicopter is now gearing up to resume deliveries of new aircraft for the first time since it was sold out of bankruptcy in 2022.

“When the bankruptcy happened, the FAA more than paused our production certificate,” explained Charles Wade, Enstrom’s senior v-p of product, sales, and customer excellence. “We had to earn it back, so there was a process we had to go through, and that took time.”