Van Horn Aviation | Composite Rotor Blades

VHA Receives Brazilian STC for 206B Version 2 Main Rotor Blades

In mid-November 2020, Van Horn Aviation received a letter from Brazil’s Agency Nacional de Aviacao Civil (ANAC) conferring a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for 206B main rotor blades bearing the part number 20635000-501. The ANAC STC, posted on VHA’s Documents page, validates the FAA STC SR02732LA issued in August 2020 and permits the new main rotor blades to be installed on Bell 206B JetRangers registered in Brazil.

The 206B Version 2 composite main rotor blades use the same corrosion-resistant carbon fiber/foam core construction as VHA’s original 206B main rotor blades, but contain different carbon fiber ply counts and orientations to “soften” the blades and mimic the ride and feel of the metal blades. With a service life of 10,000 hours (double the metal blades) and available directly from VHA and its distributors at a list price of $60,000 per blade, the VHA 20635000-501 blades replace OEM metal blades with part numbers 206-010-200-133 and up.

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AD Compliance Reminder for Certain 206L MRB Operators

By Kim VHA • April 25, 2025

For 206L LongRanger operators flying P/N 20633000-101 serial numbers A007-A009 or A012-A104, we would like to remind you that these blades are subject to AD 2022-22-08, which requires recurring tap inspections every 400 flight hours or 2,400 engine starts, whichever comes first. You can learn more about the tap test requirements and procedure in our video . These blades are likely to develop a delamination in the area of the weight pocket on the lower surface of the blade. The AD further requires removing the blades from service if the delamination reaches 6 inches in length. However, extensive company testing indicates that all blades will likely achieve their full retirement life before that occurs. So long as the delamination is monitored and does not exceed the permitted length, the blades are entirely safe to fly with no adverse effects on aircraft behavior or performance. Operators are required to report their findings at every inspection interval to VHA for tracking using the form on the last page of Service Bulletin 33000-4 . Completed forms should be emailed to info@vanhornaviation.com . Providing this data helps to ensure all operators of these blades remain safe. All of the identified blades are likely to have delaminations, so if none are detected please contact us for assistance. In addition, this AD is considered an interim action and once sufficient data is gathered it may be updated to reduce the required frequency of inspection. Refer to AD 2022-22-08 and SB 33000-4 for further information.