Thermal image camera checks assemblies

A thermal image camera looks at the whole helicopter operating environment from avionic cooling to the temperature of rotor blades, the fuselage and that of individual switches.

In more than one sense, television played an important part in Westland Helicopters' investment in a Flir Systems ThermaCAM PM695 thermal imaging camera.

It was a documentary programme on the television showing the camera being used, that first gave Westland's Andy Cotton the idea that this latest infrared technology could be beneficial to his work.

And ultimately one of the deciding factors in favour of this particular model is that it has an in-built TV camera i.e it captures images at 50Hz for real-time analysis.

A Flir Systems shortwave camera was already being used by Westland to detect faults in the main rotor blades during the construction process.

But as a relatively old camera, its capabilities were acknowledged as being limited.

After a demonstration of the then top-of-the-range Flir Systems ThermaCAM on a helicopter platform, Andy Cotton realised its potential and he was easily able to sell the benefits to his board of directors.

"Due to the cost of the camera, our purchasing department had to look at all the alternatives to ensure we were getting the best value for money," explained Andy Cotton.

"As well as performance, support was a key purchasing criterion." The ThermaCAM was bought by Westland to look at the whole helicopter operating environment from avionic cooling to the temperature of rotor blades, the fuselage and that of individual switches in the cockpit.

A tele-photo lens was also specified which has allowed air-to-air measurements to be taken with success.

However, most of the work to date has been in the UK, internal on the ground, or with the aircraft in hover.

One notable exception to this norm was a hot trial in California where the camera was operating in temperatures of over +50degC.

"It is also proposed to use the camera on cold trails where the temperature of the object could be as low as -40degC," Cotton concludes.

Westland also has further plans for its new camera.

To enable the camera to be operated in personnel-free zones such as in the avionics bay, the purchase of a remote control is on the cards.

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