St. Louis, Mo., March 3, 2011 – Donaldson Aerospace & Defense, a division of the Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE: DCI) announced today that it will celebrate delivery of its 5,000th Inlet Barrier Filtration (IBF) System at Heli-Expo 2011. “This delivery is the culmination of years of hard work by an intensely dedicated and talented team,” said Michael Scimone, president of Donaldson’s St. Louis operation.
The 5000th kit, for a Bell 429 helicopter, will be delivered in March. Donaldson and Bell Helicopter will commemorate the milestone on Monday, March 7, 1:30 p.m. at Donaldson Exhibit 4428. All convention attendees are invited to the event, which will feature hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Scimone has passionately promoted the benefits of IBF systems for rotorcraft since the founding of Aerospace Filtration Systems (AFS) in 1999. Following Donaldson’s 2007 acquisition, the AFS division continues as the industry leader in the design, development, and manufacturing of high-performance filtration systems for commercial and military rotorcraft.
In 2006, Bell Helicopter selected the AFS-designed IBF system to protect the engines of new Bell 429s. “Our partnership with Bell has been enduring and positive,” Scimone said. “Delivering the 5,000th system to Bell is testament to our long partnership starting on the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior in 2000 and continuing through today’s Bell 429 Program.”
Donaldson’s AFS division has developed 18 IBF systems that are either military airworthiness released/qualified or FAA commercial certified. Donaldson IBFs have been proven to filter more than 99 percent of dirt and sand in the most austere environments. Barrier filter systems can actually enhance engine performance, deliver more engine temperature margin (thus more load carrying capacity), and provide a greater margin of safety. Other benefits include reduced operating and overhaul costs and reduced engine operating temperatures for increased engine life. All these factors culminate in a quick Return on Investment (ROI) critical to commercial and military operators alike.
Providing the most comprehensive line of IBF solutions, Donaldson Aerospace & Defense is the industry leader in the design, development and manufacturing of high-performance engine IBF systems for commercial and military propulsion systems. Through its St. Louis, Missouri location, Donaldson provides certified IBF solutions for the AgustaWestland AW119 Koala, AW119Ke and AW139, Bell 205A1, 206B, 407, 206L-3/4, 206L-1(C30), 429 and 430; Eurocopter EC130, AS350 B/BA/B1/B2/B3, AS350’s with Soloy or Heli-Lynx Honeywell engine conversions and MD Helicopters MD 369H Series, MD 500D/E/F and MD 900/902. Military IBF solutions are available for the Bell OH-58A/C Kiowa, Bell OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, UH-1H Huey, Huey II, Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk main engine and APU, Boeing AH/MH-6 Little Bird, AH-64 Apache APU, and CH-47 Chinook APU. IBF solutions for the AgustaWestland AW109 Power and Grand as well as the Bell 206L are currently completing development.
Visit Donaldson Aerospace & Defense at the upcoming Heli-Expo 2011, Exhibit 4428 in Orlando, Florida, March 6-8, 2011.
To learn more about the Donaldson Aerospace & Defense group, visit www.DonaldsonAerospace-Defense.com or www.afs.donaldson.com.
