Van Horn Aviation (VHA) has received FAA Supplemental Type Certification (STC) and Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) for its composite tail rotor for Airbus AS350 helicopters. The updated design replaces the traditional spar-and-paddle system with two composite blades attached to a steel hub using self-lubricating spherical bearings.

VHA CEO Dean Rosenlof says, “When we first tackled the AS350 tail rotor design, our main goal was to solve the maintenance problem posed by the elastomeric bearings. Through four years of research and redesign, we've not only solved that issue but also produced a system that noticeably enhances tail rotor performance on the venerable AS350.”

The rotor’s spherical bearings eliminate the need for elastomeric bearing inspections and replacements, addressing multiple Airworthiness Directives while reducing control loads and improving performance. Key features include individually replaceable composite blades, removable pitch horns, a steel hub with a teeter axis, a drive shaft extension and a new tail rotor bolt and installation hardware.

“Our AS350 tail rotor introduces several major improvements over the OEM system, from allowing operators to replace a single damaged blade to eliminating the time and expense of frequently replacing elastomeric bearings,” says VHA flight operations manager Terry Tyner. “In addition, they are great blades to fly. They're very responsive.”

The service life of VHA’s AS350 tail rotor is 4,800 hours, 800 more than the OEM version and pricing is comparable to Airbus’s product. Customer deliveries are due to begin in March.