First flight for composite blades

Sea King helicopter XZ575 has successfully completed the first flight using advanced composite main rotor blades. Lasting for around four minutes, the flight was a significant milestone in the evaluation of the

blade for the UK Sea King helicopter with the new blades producing data indicating significant performance gains.

The flight was the culmination of many months of work carried out across Qinetiq and the Aircraft Test and Evaluation Centre at Boscombe Down and was supported by the MOD’s Sea King and Future Rotorcraft Capability IPTs and Agusta Westland.

Andrew Sleigh, Qinetiq’s Group MD for Defence and Technology said: ‘This is thought to be the most significant modification made to a helicopter in the UK by a non-aircraft manufacturer. Because the new blades had not been certified by any organisation independent of the manufacturer, they were fitted for the trial as a Qinetiq modification – one of the most significant aircraft modifications ever made by us.’