29-2, proposing two-pilot IFR operations with limited avionics upgrade. The Collins displays in U.S. Coast Guard’s HH-65 Dolphin did much to advance the "glass" cockpit in helicopters, and in 1983 Sikorsky broke ground by offering the Bendix electronic flight instrumentation system as a factory option.

For many helicopter pilots in the 1980s, the navigation aid of choice was Loran-C. NASA was looking at microwave landing systems for precision approaches. The police helicopter market brought the civil use of infrared sensing and, along with the fast-growing electronic newsgathering market, development of camera stabilization. Many emergency helicopter operators liked the Wulfsberg multi-frequency radios, and a popular weather detector was the Ryan Stormscope.

A Different Industry

As the 1980s progressed, however, the manufacturers turned their attention to the blossoming military market, which, in thea new company, Eurocopter. These and other agreements – also among avionics manufacturers, service suppliers and civil operators – were all in the wake of the high-flying 1980s.

1986: A Westland Lynx with BERP rotor blades achieves the absolute world speed record. The blade was designed to take advantage of the benefits of composite construction, optimizing the aerodynamics qualities and enhancing performance.

1991: First flight of the K-MAX, which utilizes Kaman’s proven intermeshing rotor system in a single-seat helicopter built specifically for utility purposes.

1992: The company Eurocopter is created with the merger of the helicopter divisions of Aerospatiale and MBB/Deutsche Aerospace.

1994: Westland Helicopters is acquired by the engineering company GKN. In 1996, company name changes to GKN Westland.

1997: The Boeing Co. acquires McDonnell Douglas

1998: Bell/Agusta Aerospace Co. is formed as