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A SLEEK, futuristic machine that could easily take a starring role in the latest James Bond blockbuster is spearheading an Australian push to change the way people view helicopters.
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Wieland Helicopter Technologies has been working since 2003 on coaxial rotor technology acquired from the US military, and now has a single-seat prototype ready to showcase its advantages.
It is part of a plan to develop two-seat and five-seat machines for a variety of applications in the light helicopter market, currently dominated by Robinson.
WHT's helicopter has two contra-rotating main rotors that make the machine quieter, more manoeuvrable and more stable, while at the same time boosting its power to weight ratio.
The two sets of main blades also mean the aircraft does not need a tail rotor.
Wieland estimates that up to 40 per cent of the noise generated by a helicopter is attributable to the tail rotor, and it also diverts 25 per cent of the chopper's lift. It says its helicopters will be easier to fly, have better lift and cost less to run than their conventional competitors.
A conventional chopper is hard to fly because the rotational force of the single rotor causes the aircraft to pull in the direction of the spin, making it unbalanced.
Having two rotors spinning in opposite directions balances the aircraft and makes it 33 per cent more stable, eliminating the need to fight directional pull, the company says.
No tail rotor also means no anti-torque pedals, freeing the pilot to concentrate on the other controls.
"The pilot is no longer fighting the aircraft, just flying the aircraft," says WHT general manager Jonathon DeJong, who started furniture retailer Fantastic Furniture.
"In a traditional helicopter the pilot is fighting centrifugal forces all the time."
The company wants to develop two machines: the two-seat Coax 412 and the five-seat Coax 415.
It is looking at Lycoming as a potential engine supplier for smaller chopper and Rolls Royce for a turbine in the five-seater.
It has also experimented with electric engines, possibly powered by fuel cells, but says this is a long-term project.
It also talking to university researchers about possible pilotless aerial vehicle uses.
Although it is still honing estimates of how much the machines will cost, it says the 412 could sell for about $350,000 and the bigger craft for about $1.2 million.
"We will be competitive in the world market for helicopters of this size, and on top of that we've got a much better system," DeJong says.
The coaxial rotor is based on US military technology developed in 1955 but kept under wraps for almost half a century until it was acquired by industry veteran Peter Wieland, who owns several helicopter companies.
In a coals-to-Newcastle twist, the company sees the military as a market for the new helicopter and says it has already had strong interest from potential customers.
"Our first plan of attack will probably be to secure military sales," DeJong says.
"During that process we will be going through the certification for the 412" and will build a scale model 415.
"With the 412 standard model and a model of the 415 we will go to air shows around the world and start taking forward orders."
DeJong says the company has had approaches from potential investors based in the Gulf states but is keen to keep the project Australian.
The aim is to have components manufactured overseas and do the final assembly here. As many of the components as possible will be already certified to make the process easier.
The company will approach state governments about a site for the assembly plant.
The executive says the company will have no problem selling the choppers for a wide variety of uses ranging from tourism to agriculture, mining and private transport.
"They will sell like hotcakes but our passion and our dream is to raise enough capital to do it here," he says.
"We've already raised more than $1 million, which has helped us build this model."
"We're into a new offer document now, which will raise another $3.8 million."
WHT sold its first round of shares at 2c. It is now into a 4c round and plans to proceed to an 8c round.
"With the 8c round we will have raised $5 million, and with $5 million we believe we can get very close to building this product," DeJong says.
Wieland and other foundation shareholders will hold 75 per cent of the company while the remainder goes to new investors. The company plans to start taking orders for civil aircraft once the prototype two-seater is built and wants both aircraft certified by year three of a five-year plan.
Deliveries are expected to start that year and by year five it hopes to be taking 300 orders a year.
"In year five, it calculates down to $127 million or $130 million of potential income," he says. "That's providing we meet all the milestones along the way and we end up with a certified aircraft in year three.
"The thing that's going to give us that is making sure we raise the right amount of money at the beginning."
DeJong admits the journey will not be easy -- "otherwise everybody would be doing it" -- but says it will be an exciting Australian story.
He is confident of success given the amount of interest already shown in the helicopters and the calibre of backers, such as the Wieland group of companies.
"This is not a pipedream," he says. "We have hard product right now and it's a matter of bringing that product into the 21st century."
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