Cormorant Tail Rotors Will Be Re-engineered

Cracks in the hub assemblies of AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorants tail rotors will take years to fix, according to Canadian defense department documents obtained by The Canadian Press. The Cormorant is Canada’s main search and rescue helicopter. The documents said a critical part is being re-engineered but is still several years away from a complete solution. It is unclear as to how much the re-engineering will cost. Lt. Gen. Angus Watt, the chief of the air staff, said search and rescue missions have not been affected but that the problems limit the amount of aircraft that may be available for crew training. Cracks in the tail rotor were first detected in September 2004 and caused the grounding of the fleet. The helicopters were allowed back in the air but with restrictions and stepped-up inspections. For related news