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Metro Aviation selects AKV engine cycle counters for EC145 fleet

AKV Inc. Press Release | February 20, 2020

Estimated reading time 3 minutes, 17 seconds.

Metro Aviation, a leading helicopter completion center and air medical operator, has a long history of installing the AKV systems for completion customers.  Now, Metro has chosen the AKV Dual Cycle Counter for its own fleet of EC145C-2 and EC145e helicopters, which Metro operates for hospitals across the country.

With this agreement, AKV is also developing a new interface device to be installed with each engine cycle counter, allowing the system to transmit recorded cycles to the Metro IRIS system. The new Cycle Counter Interface Box, or CCIB, extracts recorded data from the cycle counter and seamlessly communicates it to the on board IRIS system for transmission. Development of the CCIB will be compatible with all AKV engine cycle counters and will include Bluetooth (BLE) for future use.

AKV president and founder Jonathan Gunn said, “We are honored that Metro has provided AKV this opportunity to supply our cycle counting system for their significant fleet of EC145s, of which it is one of the largest civilian operators of the EC145 in the world. After years of supplying the cycle counter for their completion customers, it solidifies their commitment and trust in our systems for their own fleet of EC145s.”

“Metro is the largest civilian operator of the 145 air frame,” said Metro managing director Milton Geltz. “The AKV EC145 Cycle Counter increases accuracy, reduces direct operating cost and with the CCIB, seamlessly integrates with IRIS. Our end game is to use this information along with time, landings and performance information in support of our electronic log book program. It is a great addition to our fleet.”

The AKV Dual Engine Cycle Counter kit part no. BK1172XCC is FAA, EASA and CASA supplemental type certificate (STC) approved for the BK117 A1 – C2 (EC145). It is approved for both the LTS101 and Arriel 1E(2) engines. It is also a Safran validated system that complies with the latest changes regarding partial cycle counting for the free turbine (Np).

In addition, an FAA approved “Daily Coherence Check” via the Instruction for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) provides a means to conform with the Safran validation requirements and is designed as an alternate cycle counting system over the OEM system which is subject to an FAA and EASA AD in the EC145.

The AKV line of engine cycle counters for the Arriel 1, LTS101, T53, T55 & Makila 1 are designed to replace the pilot’s manual counting method with an accurate, fully computerized counter, and will save on average 25 to 30 percent in accrued cycles compared with manual cycle counting alone.

The system accumulates and display’s Ng and Np daily flight cycles with separate cycle totals along with real time rpm’s for Ng and Np, Ng Max, an engine start counter, Ng and Np operations counter, flight time and engine run accumulation times on two independent computers and LCD screens. The optional Ground Support Programming Kit P/N CC-GSE allows maintenance to enter current data into the cycle counter.

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