At the request of a client, German Part 21J Design Organisation SPAES has designed and carried out the approval for a mounting bracket for a new external mirror. The customer's Airbus AS350 helicopter is used for external cargo flights, and in order to have the attached load in view even with a long rope lead, the existing load mirror had to be exchanged for a larger one. The existing mirror was too small, especially in the longitudinal axis. For additional support it was nevertheless retained and moved from the right side to the left side. A larger mirror from the same manufacturer was chosen for the desired field of view after consultation with the customer.

SPAES developed the new mounting bracket on the basis of the defined specifications and the aviation requirements. In the first step, the mounting bracket was produced as a 3D printing model for adaptation to the helicopter. After final coordination and release, the prototype was manufactured with the suitable final material. The new mirror and the mounting permits an optimal electric adjustment via a motion switch during flight. The mirror can also be readjusted mechanically.

“Due to the new position and attachment of the mirror, the pilot can ideally align the mirror according to the length of the load rope and thus always have the external load under control,” says SPEAS head of operative business Joachim Kies.

After manufacturing the mounting bracket, SPAES carried out a pull test to check the material for its loading capacity. For the modification a minor change was issued. The installation of the mounting was carried out in the customer's own Part 145 company.