Rotorcraft
Van Horn Nearing FAA OK for Composite 206L Rotor Blades
First flight of with the composite blades was completed in February.
New composite main rotor blades for the Bell 206L are now being tested by Van Horn Aviation in Mesa, Arizona. The blades are expected to have a 20,000-hour service life, four times that of the OEM blade.
New composite main rotor blades for the Bell 206L are now being tested by Van Horn Aviation in Mesa, Arizona. The blades are expected to have a 20,000-hour service life, four times that of the OEM blade.

Van Horn Aviation is continuing flight testing of its new composite main rotor blades for the Bell 206L at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona, after performing the first flight in February. "While our Long Ranger main blade is based on the [206B] Jet Ranger blade that we certified last year, we made some modifications to the design beyond just the 22-inch increase in length," said Van Horn president Dean Rosenlof. "So the 206L is essentially a new blade. We're thrilled that our Long Ranger blades performed well enough to go from ground to hover to 100 knots and turns in our first test session."

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