BLR Aerospace recently secured FAA approval for a performance increase for Bell 206L helicopters equipped with its Dual Tailboom Strakes, marking the latest certification in the company’s busy research and development program.

The FAA approval involves a flight manual supplement that permits up to 150 pounds of additional out-of-ground-effect hover performance. This translates into at least a 10 percent boost in useful load, the company said, but the performance increase will vary by operator and depend upon a number of other factors. The approval was BLR’s first for a performance-enhancing product for a light helicopter,

The company sees a broad market for the flight manual supplement: more than 1,700 Bell 206L variants have been delivered. Nearly 100 206-series helicopters are equipped with Dual Tailboom Strakes. In addition to the 206/206L series, the Dual Tailboom Strakes are installed on various Bell OH-58 (military 206) models and the 205 and 212.

The strakes are designed to control rotorwash, reducing undesired sideways lift. They also improve stability by reducing turbulence under the tailboom and reducing tail rotor pedal reversals by up to 38 percent.

BLR couples the strakes with a reshaped vertical fin for its FastFin Tailrotor Enhancement and Stability system. That modification provides anywhere between 10 to 90 percent increases in useful load, depending on model and density altitude.

Initially certified on the Bell UH-1 and 212, the FastFin became standard on the Bell 412EP in 2010. That represented an important endorsement by the helicopter manufacturer, said Dave Marone, BLR vice president of sales and marketing. Orders picked up steadily after that, and BLR recently delivered it 850th system

Along with various 212, 412 and UH-1models, FastFins have been certified on 204 and 205 models. “It is gratifying to see the FastFin technology experience such widespread acceptance in so many market segments and regions,” Marone said.

The 412 has provided a steady flow of orders, but growth more recently has come from the military market, he said. The government/military market accounts for 40 percent of new sales, with orders in 2014 from the military forces in the U.K., the Philippines, Colombia, Thailand and Cyprus. Marone attributes the pick up in business to tightened military and government budgets, which encourages technologies that boost efficiency. “Having the ability to fly higher or carry more, all with greater stability, is a significant benefit,” he said.

Marone believes business will remain strong, saying the company expects to sell more than 100 of the FastFin systems in 2015. BLR has sold more than 100 a year since 2011.

Even with the growth in the current models, the company is taking the initial steps to expand into new Bell models and add other manufacturers to the lineup. BLR recently completed initial testing on four new helicopter models that would bring its technology to Sikorsky and Airbus helicopters for the first time. BLR has successfully flown the performance enhancements on the Sikorsky S-61, Airbus AS350B3e and Bell 407 and AH-1 Cobra.

The preliminary flights validated that the technologies will improve out-of-ground-effect hover performance, clearing the way for further testing. While still in discussions with the various manufacturers, BLR is continuing the testing and could bring new modifications to the market for those helicopters over the next 12 to 24 months, Marone said.