Italy buys firefighting Cranes!
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: 48 Deg South
According to some of my Erickson contacts they said and I quote "The Italians dont know what the heck they have got themselves into". Looks like it might be very interesting times ahead and bet you they will rely on Erickson for support/help for quite some time.
P.S. Wonder how Erickson will get on with this many spares taken out of their inventory, to support their own aircraft. Any answers anyone.
P.S. Wonder how Erickson will get on with this many spares taken out of their inventory, to support their own aircraft. Any answers anyone.
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Joined: Oct 1999
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From: Beyond the black stump!
Ducommun announces $5M contract for Erickson Air-Crane S-64 main blades
LOS ANGELES, California (May 26, 2004) - Ducommun Incorporated today announced that its Ducommun AeroStructures (DAS) business has been awarded a $5 million contract by Erickson Air-Crane, Inc. of Central Point, Oregon to fabricate the Main Rotor Blades for the S-64 Air-Crane Helicopter. The work will be performed at the DAS facilities in Gardena and Monrovia, California, with deliveries commencing in the fourth quarter of 2004.
The Erickson S-64 Air-Crane has been in service since the mid-1960s and as a result of Erickson's continuous development program is one of the premier commercial heavy lift helicopters in the world today. The Erickson S-64 Air-Crane has enjoyed unparalleled success in the logging and firefighting arenas and is the most successful firefighting helicopter available today with the ability to deliver 2500 gallons of water on a fire in a single drop. The Erickson S-64 Air-Crane has six 32 foot long main rotor blades per helicopter. The blades have been out of production since the 1970s and the new DAS fabricated blades will incorporate updated processes and materials while maintaining the original design. The availability of new blades will allow Erickson to continue to supply blades to their current fleet and will also support Erickson's current manufacturing effort which is adding approximately four aircraft per year for Erickson's own operational fleet and sales to outside customers.
DAS has built over 100,000 rotor blades in the last 40 years and is currently producing the Boeing AH-64 Apache Rotor Blades and the Carson Helicopter S-61 Composite Main Rotor Blade. DAS has also previously manufactured rotor blades for Bell Helicopter's Model 47, UH-1 Huey, and Model 206 JetRanger Aircraft.
Joseph C. Berenato, chairman and chief executive officer of Ducommun, stated, "We are very pleased with the award of this contract which recognizes our extensive capability in the production of helicopter blades and reaffirms our focus on higher level subassembly and assembly work to increase our proportion of value added work."
Ducommun AeroStructures manufactures large, complex structural components and assemblies in aluminum, specialty alloys such as titanium, metal bond and composites for a wide variety of military and commercial aerospace applications. Founded in 1849, Ducommun Incorporated manufactures components and assemblies for the aerospace industry.
The statements made in this press release include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's future financial results could differ materially from those anticipated due to the Company's dependence on conditions in the airline industry, the level of new commercial aircraft orders, production rates for Boeing commercial aircraft, the C-17 and Apache helicopter rotor blade programs, the level of defense spending, competitive pricing pressures, manufacturing inefficiencies, start-up costs and possible overruns on new contracts, technology and product development risks and uncertainties, product performance, risks associated with acquisitions and dispositions of businesses by the Company, increasing consolidation of customers and suppliers in the aerospace industry, possible goodwill impairment, availability of raw materials and components from suppliers, and other factors beyond the Company's control. See the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 3, 2004 for a more detailed discussion of these and other risk factors and contingencies.
LOS ANGELES, California (May 26, 2004) - Ducommun Incorporated today announced that its Ducommun AeroStructures (DAS) business has been awarded a $5 million contract by Erickson Air-Crane, Inc. of Central Point, Oregon to fabricate the Main Rotor Blades for the S-64 Air-Crane Helicopter. The work will be performed at the DAS facilities in Gardena and Monrovia, California, with deliveries commencing in the fourth quarter of 2004.
The Erickson S-64 Air-Crane has been in service since the mid-1960s and as a result of Erickson's continuous development program is one of the premier commercial heavy lift helicopters in the world today. The Erickson S-64 Air-Crane has enjoyed unparalleled success in the logging and firefighting arenas and is the most successful firefighting helicopter available today with the ability to deliver 2500 gallons of water on a fire in a single drop. The Erickson S-64 Air-Crane has six 32 foot long main rotor blades per helicopter. The blades have been out of production since the 1970s and the new DAS fabricated blades will incorporate updated processes and materials while maintaining the original design. The availability of new blades will allow Erickson to continue to supply blades to their current fleet and will also support Erickson's current manufacturing effort which is adding approximately four aircraft per year for Erickson's own operational fleet and sales to outside customers.
DAS has built over 100,000 rotor blades in the last 40 years and is currently producing the Boeing AH-64 Apache Rotor Blades and the Carson Helicopter S-61 Composite Main Rotor Blade. DAS has also previously manufactured rotor blades for Bell Helicopter's Model 47, UH-1 Huey, and Model 206 JetRanger Aircraft.
Joseph C. Berenato, chairman and chief executive officer of Ducommun, stated, "We are very pleased with the award of this contract which recognizes our extensive capability in the production of helicopter blades and reaffirms our focus on higher level subassembly and assembly work to increase our proportion of value added work."
Ducommun AeroStructures manufactures large, complex structural components and assemblies in aluminum, specialty alloys such as titanium, metal bond and composites for a wide variety of military and commercial aerospace applications. Founded in 1849, Ducommun Incorporated manufactures components and assemblies for the aerospace industry.
The statements made in this press release include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The Company's future financial results could differ materially from those anticipated due to the Company's dependence on conditions in the airline industry, the level of new commercial aircraft orders, production rates for Boeing commercial aircraft, the C-17 and Apache helicopter rotor blade programs, the level of defense spending, competitive pricing pressures, manufacturing inefficiencies, start-up costs and possible overruns on new contracts, technology and product development risks and uncertainties, product performance, risks associated with acquisitions and dispositions of businesses by the Company, increasing consolidation of customers and suppliers in the aerospace industry, possible goodwill impairment, availability of raw materials and components from suppliers, and other factors beyond the Company's control. See the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 3, 2004 for a more detailed discussion of these and other risk factors and contingencies.
