Airbus AS350 Swing Suspension System

Challenge

Airbus Helicopters brought their new AS350 helicopter to market with their legacy cargo hook system. It was heavy, expensive to maintain, offered limited ground clearance, and lacked product support. Many of their customers were already familiar with Onboard Systems' innovative cargo hook systems and began asking Eurocopter to install this equipment instead.

Solution

Onboard Systems’ off-the-shelf TALON LC Keeperless Cargo Hook. The design advantages included:

• Lighter weight — With the CAD design and lighter, stronger alloys, the system provides maximum strength and a 60% weight savings. 
• Average 70% reduction in maintenance costs — Fewer mandatory replacement parts at overhaul and lower parts cost results in far lower maintenance costs over the life of the cargo hook.
• Increased ground clearance by 35% — A more compact internal mechanism significantly increases ground clearance.
• Increased safety in overload situations — The new hook is able to release 2.5 times the rated load in emergencies.
• Increased safety — The keeperless design enables safe use of a wide variety of load ring sizes. In addition, with a keeperless design, the load has no chance to work its way around the keeper and inadvertently fall from the hook.
• Responsive customer support — The TALON LC is available for immediate shipment, and its product documentation is available on our Web site. We also offer technical support and low prices on spare parts.