Day Two HeliExpo 2011

Today was a Sikorsky day. It started with Jeff Pino, CEO of Sikorsky Helicopters, giving a packed media room a company rundown. Eurocopter and Sikorsky are vying for the top slot in helicopter production and both have a turn-over of 6.7 billion. Not bad for companies that started with one small dream each. Jeff Pino said that for a few moments - due apparently to the exchange rate - Eurocopter overtook Sikorsky as market leader, but now Sikorsky has inched ahead. Who knows - 6.7 billion each sounds good to me. The profit, Pino said, allows them to continue their aggressive drive in R & D.
We then moved onto their new products and how the market is moving - this includes the X2 pictured and the electronic Schweizer 300. The electronic 300 has already been launched (and mentioned in Helicopter Life) but Sikorsky are working hard to make it viable - ie improving the flight durabily from its current 5 minutes!
The market is moving towards togetherness rather than competition he said - echoing an earlier statement from Agusta's Orsi. There is much more to write, however, since I'm off to a Bell Helicopter party you'll have to read about it in Helicopter Life, or if I have a quiet moment tomorrow. Hope to see you then.