Onboard Systems awarded contract for EC145T2 cargo hook kit by Airbus Helicopters

Onboard Systems International, Inc., a leading provider of innovative helicopter cargo hook equipment, today announced that it has been awarded a contract from Airbus Helicopters to provide the cargo hook kit for the EC145T2 beam system. The new beam system will use a single or dual-hook configuration of Onboard's TALON® LC Hydraulic cargo hook.

The cargo hook beam system can be installed as a dual-hook, Human External Cargo (HEC) certified configuration, or as a single-hook, non-HEC configuration. The dual-hook configuration will have a weight rating of 800 KG (1,764 LB), and the single-hook configuration will have a weight rating of 1,600 KG (3,527 LB). The forward hook in the dual-configuration is the HEC back-up hook, so operators can readily switch between HEC and non-HEC external load operations by simply installing a guard cover over the front hook. In addition, the dual-hook system will have a release lever that can open each hook individually.

The new beam system will feature the TALON LC Hydraulic Cargo Hook, which offers a hydraulically activated secondary release system. As with all TALON cargo hooks, in emergency load situations it can release up to 2.5 times the rated load of 1,600 KG (3,527 LB). The system will be designed with modular, interchangeable components to simplify installation, maintenance and upgrade procedures.

Airbus Helicopters also plans to certify the same beam system on the EC135 aircraft. At that point, operators who have both EC135 and EC145T2 aircraft in their fleet will able to interchange the cargo hooks between these two aircraft models. For example, if a cargo hook on an operator's EC135 is removed for maintenance, a hook from their EC145T2 aircraft can be swapped in. Operators will also be able to upgrade from a single-hook to a dual-hook installation by purchasing and installing additional components to their common beam configuration.