Brantly Targets 12 B-2B Sales in 2001

Texas-based Brantly International is targeting an even dozen sales of its B-2B light piston helicopter this year. That's a modest number, but represents a doubling of the six B-2Bs delivered in 2000, the first delivery year for the "new" two-seater.

B-2B may be a big Internet buzzword these days but for Brantly it means a basic aircraft design that dates from 1953, when Newby O. Brantly designed the B-2 as a versatile, easy-to-fly machine. The B-2 got its FAA type certificate in 1959 and was evolved into the B-2B in 1963.

The Brantly was owned by Lear from 1965 to 1968 but only five Lear B-2Bs were produced, reports modern-day sales & marketing VP George Stokes. The current company bought the aircraft certificate in 1994 and secured its production certificate two years later. Stokes began serious sales efforts in late 1998 and last year delivered the first six modern Brantly aircraft.

"The company has taken a very methodical approach to this," he says, not offering an aircraft until it had an aircraft to deliver. All are built at the Brantly plant at the Willbarger County Airport in Vernon, TX, north of Abilene near the Oklahoma border. Brantly builds all its B-2B parts with the exception of gears and engines.

The total "old" Brantly fleet numbers from 140 to 170 aircraft, Stokes says. His job is to juggle the old Brantly's reputation for ruggedness and a smooth ride with promotion of a new helo with modern interior and controls.

The B-2B costs just $150,000, and this year comes with a GPS as standard equipment, as well as other cockpit improvements. It is said to be the lowest-priced, three-blade, fully certified helicopter in the world.

The B-2B has a Lycoming IVO 360 A1A engine with 180 hp at sea level, allowing for a cruising speed of 90 miles per hour, or 78 knots, at 75% power. The fuel injected engine is vertically mounted and has no drive belts, making for a ride comparable to much larger helicopters, Stokes says.

The B-2B weighs 1,020 pounds empty and has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,670 pounds. It has a range of 217 nmi and a service ceiling of 6,000 feet. Floats are available.

The B-2B's stable ride and handling ­ and low price -- make it ideal for training, Stokes says.

Besides the U.S. and Canada, Brantly holds type certificates in countries including Argentina, Australia, Britain, Germany and China. China, says Stokes, is "an absolutely huge country with almost no infrastructure." Brantly is urging officials there to structure their airspace with a system of airports surrounded by feeder heliports.

"It takes less land to build a high-volume heliport than it does to make a high-volume airport," he points out, noting that land is valuable in China because it's needed for agriculture, while aviation is the key to quick economic development with limited ground infrastructure. Helicopters ­ low-priced ones ­ thus fit the market perfectly.

A brand new B-2B is here on the Heli-Expo 2001 static line. It showcases the aircraft's now-standard GPS navigation receiver. It has a built-in updateable database as part of its Apollo SL60 communications suite based on a 760 channel VHF Comm transceiver.
The aircraft also features new electrical engine gauges, and an ergonomic cyclic grip with on-stick trim control, also as standard equipment.

By Rich Piellisch