This pair of Bell 212’s is owned and operated by one of Maxcrafts most frequent and valued clients. This year these aircraft returned to our CYPK facility after more than three years of operation in Afghanistan. Prior to that mission, the aircraft were stripped of IFR equipment, optimizing them for VFR operation and reducing their weight considerably. With these aircraft back in Canada, Maxcraft Avionics was tasked with re-installation of IFR equipment in preparation for work at home. As the original installer for much of this equipment and the holder of relevant STCs for Dual GNS530s and Kratos EHSIs, Maxcraft was a best choice for this refit. Reinstallation of this IFR equipment occurred concurrently with airframe reassembly and other maintenance carried out by our client’s engineer here at our facility.

Maxcraft’s IFR STC package for Bell 212 helicopters includes dual Rogerson Kratos EHSI units as well as Dual Garmin GNS530’s (one of which is installed in the centre console). Both the navigators and EHSIs were fully integrated into a legacy Sperry/Honeywell Helipilot Flight Director System. While this Sperry IFR system is older, it was incredibly advanced for its time, and is still highly functional when integrated with modern avionic systems like the GNS-530. Legacy HSI systems, on the other hand, are severely limited in their capability to interface with modern GPS systems. Newer electronic HSI units like the Rogerson Kratos EHSIs shown here are fully capable of interfacing with GPS navigators and provide highly improved situational awareness in comparison to legacy electromechanical systems.

Re-installed Systems

  • Dual Garmin GNS 530 GPS/NAV/COM
  • Sperry Helipilot Flight Director System
  • Dual Rogerson Kratos NEOAV 520 EHSI