Honeywell will provide the Zing® Test Elite rotor track and balance maintenance technology to MD Helicopters to support the entire fleet of current and new MD500 series helicopters. Zing® Test Elite provides precision rotor track and balance measurements to operators. Based on the Zing HUMS 1134 on-board system, Zing Test Elite is a carry-on system that quickly provides the ability to perform helicopter rotor smoothing, engine performance checks, component balancing, and vibration surveys to save time, fuel, and maintenance costs.

“Honeywell’s goal is to make sure customers have the latest technology at their fingertips that truly affects the bottom line in terms of cost savings. In today’s compressed budget environment, aftermarket investments that prolong platform life are very important,” said Alicia Chan, customer business lead, Condition Based Maintenance Systems at Honeywell Aerospace. “Customers get the benefit of Test Elite’s comprehensive maintenance and analysis tools, portability, and easy to use that adopts into current operations with very little training.”

“Zing Test Elite represents cutting edge technology, and gives any operator the ability to benefit from a comprehensive and highly capable diagnostic system,” said Chris Nehls, vice president of engineering, MD Helicopter. “We are a long-time 8500C Plus portable system and BMS embedded track and balance solution user, and the new Zing Test Elite kit with the FasTrak optical tracker is the solution we needed for our new aircraft.”

Zing® Test Elite is also available for: the Eurocopter AS350; Bell 206B, 206L, 212, 407, and 412; the Boeing Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB) MH-6M; and the Sikorsky UH-60 and MH-60L.  Several additional platforms are also planned for release this year.