Billings for civil helicopter deliveries in the first half of 2017 jumped nearly 24% to $1.88 billion compared to the same period last year, and aircraft shipments climbed nearly 17% to 465, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
"Second-quarter numbers were particularly promising,” said GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce, providing “a positive marker for the rotorcraft market stabilizing” and “a solid bright spot for the general aviation industry in 2017.”
Leonardo Helicopters topped the second-quarter billables value at $573.2 million on the strength of 71 deliveries reported in the second quarter, GAMA said, compared to a value of $62.6 million for 12 shipments in the first quarter.
Shipments included 21 AW139s (up from none in Q1), 12 AW119Kx aircraft (up from four), 11 AW169s (up from four), eight AW109Powers (up from none), seven GrandNews (up from two), five AW189s (up from none), four T129s (up from none), two AW149s (up from none) and one CH-47F (also up from none). Super Lynx and AW101 deliveries dropped to none in the quarter from one each in the first quarter.
The company reported no deliveries of AW159s, SW4s or W-3s in the second or the first quarter.
The association said Airbus valued quarter shipments at $521.4 million, on top of $303 million for the first quarter’s 74 shipments.
Airbus reported 101 deliveries for the quarter, up from 74 in Q1. That included 28 H145/145Ms (up from 16 in the first quarter), nine H130s (up from five), 36 H125/125Ms (up from 34), five Tigers (up from four) and five AS365N3+/AS565Mbe aircraft, three H225/225Ms, one AS355NP/ASS555AP and one H155 (all up from none in the first quarter). Quarter-to-quarter deliveries dropped for the H120 (to one from two) and H135/135M (to 10 from 11), and deliveries of H175 were at two.
GAMA said Airbus reported no AS350B2 or H215/215M for this second quarter or the first.
Bell Helicopter’s 21 shipments in the second quarter were valued at $124.5 million, versus $161 million for Q1's 27 shipments, according to GAMA. Q2 shipments included nine 429s (compared to eight in the first quarter), five 407GXPs (compared to 10 in Q1), three 505s (on top of two in Q1), two 429WLGs with wheeled landing gear (versus none), one 206L-4 (compared to three) and one 412EPI (also compared to three).
Robinson Helicopters reported 82 shipments valued at more than $44.62 million in the second quarter, GAMA said, compared to $37.51 million for 69 in Q1.
Those deliveries included 28 R44 Raven IIs (up from 23 in Q1), 24 R66s (up from 21), 16 Raven Is (up from eight), nine R22 Beta IIs (down from 11) and five R44 Cadets (down from six).
Sikorsky reported three S-76 shipments and no S-92 deliveries in the second quarter (compared to none for either type in Q1), GAMA said, with a reported value of $39 million versus Q1’s value of zero.
GAMA said Guimbal Helicopters reported 14 Cabri G2 deliveries for the quarter, up from six in Q1. The respected values were slightly more than $5.68 million and just over $2.28 million.
Enstrom Helicopter reported one delivery of a 280FX (up from none in the first quarter) and one 480B (the same as Q1), for a value of $1.725 million versus $1.4 million for Q1.
