Van Horn moves into main rotor market with Bell 206 installation

Greg Ashe, Bob Hoag, Hunter Olney, Jim Van Horn, Dean Rosenlof, Henry, and Pablo Ejarque in front of the launch helicopter for the 206B VHA main rotor blades. Photo by Jason Colquhoun

Van Horn Aviation has moved into the market for main rotor blades from its core product base of tail rotor blades. President of the company Dean Rosenlof and chief executive Jim Van Horn witnessed the first installation onto a customer Bell 206 helicopter at the Valley Centre in California.

The blades were fitted onto a JetRanger operated by Hummingbird Helicopters. The company specialises in agriculture aerial application, servicing difficult-to-reach crops and noise-sensitive residential areas.

The installation and test flight took less than two hours, with no weight, pitch link, or tab adjustments required. Van Horn 206B composite main rotor blades are available exclusively through Bell subsidiary Aeronautical Accessories and are certified with an 18,000-hour service life with overhauls required every 2,800 hours.