Project  Laflamme Helicopters inc. is a small company who has been working on the design of a small tandem helicopter for more than twenty years now. By combining high payload capability, easy piloting and accessible price, Laflamme Helicopters aims to offer the first sport-utility helicopter to the aviation world. Designed and manufactured just like the big ones The company initially devoted most of its efforts developing its own manufacturing processes for the fuselage and blades which are both made of composite materials. The results obtained now make it possible to offer parts of equal and sometimes higher quality than those used by the large aviation companies. Laflamme Helicopters use high-tech tools such as finite element analysis and 3D modeling softwares to design and validate the various parts of the aircraft. Aerodynamicists established the helicopter performance, stability and control characteristics of the LAF-01. Thus, it is a very safe aircraft vehicle which will be offered to the homebuilt aviation sector since the first helicopters will be only sold in kits. The research centre Mr. Laflamme began the LAF-01 project in the 80's, but in order to complete the design and the testing of the LAF-01 helicopter, a new research centre was opened in 2002. Considerable amount of money was invested into the project to build the research centre and to hire a new team of engineers and technicians. The research centre now gather design and testing works under the same roof. The company now got all the equipment and the specialized workforce needed in order to complete the first prototypes and to carry out the first flight tests. A qualified team Next to Mr. Laflamme stands a team composed of engineers and technicians committed to the success of LAF-01 project. The engineering department can count on composite material, electronics, aerospace and mechanical resources. The company sometimes seeks for external resources and some specialized advisers. These collaborators fill the lack of experience in various fields such as aerodynamics and the analysis of the forces generated by the blades. Thus, Laflamme Helicopters can rely on a complete team. The diversification of the personnel help the company to benefit from the experience of seniors and the new technologies brought by its lately graduated staff. Tomorrow's projects The company expects to market its first homebuilt version of the LAF-01 soon. By doing so, Laflamme Helicopters wishes to offer to the homebuilt aviation world the possibility of acquiring a very new type of aircraft, that is to say the very first sport-utility helicopter in the world usable all year-round for work or recreational purposes. The certified version of the LAF-01 is expected to come out in a couple of years. Offering homebuilt and certified version, Laflamme Helicopters' goal is to be a world leader in the manufacturing of small helicopters. The company thus wishes to widen the market of small helicopters by offering a product different from what the market offers at the present time. It will then be possible to airplane pilots to acquire a helicopter with several of the characteristics appreciated on their aircraft like the facility of piloting, simple mechanics and a heavy payload capacity. The whole thing will be offered at an accessible price. Moreover, the company also believes to attract new customers for whom LAF-01 will become a new working tool. It could be very well used for the carriage of goods in the uninhabited zones or over rough grounds for long distances. It could be also used for the inspection and repair of electrical supply networks and be useful for agricultural spreading. Photo by Jean-Pierre Bonin |
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