Cgear - Transportable Helipads

CGear Australia was established in May 2003 to hold patents that cover the technology of multi-layered polyethylene mesh. The multi-layering allows sand and dirt to fall through the matting structure, and prevent sand and dirt coming back up through the mat.

Continual research and development by the CGear team has seen the introduction of products for use by the military and the outdoor and recreational markets. These two divisions of CGear are internationally recognised innovators in these specialised fields.

TACTICAL HELIMAT TRANSPORTABLE HELIPAD

The military products CGear have developed focus on providing solutions to sand and dust abatement for helicopters when landing and taking off. The CGear patented Tactical Helimat is a lightweight, transportable helipad that solves the problem of sand and dust abatement, known as brownout.

The Helimat transportable helipad facilitates increased operational aircraft time, reduced maintenance costs and increased operational safety for aircraft and ground crew. It is lightweight, compact and rapidly deployable, and impervious to aviation fuels and oil spills.

CUSTOMISED TRANSPORTABLE HELIPADS

The CGear Tactical Helimat transportable helipad has been designed and manufactured to quickly and simply solve the problem of 'brownout' on helicopter-landing zones. The size of each segment is 20ft by 20ft (6.1m by 6.1m). Sizing of the tactical helipad is dependant on the rotor span of each particular helicopter, with dimensions of the helipad approximating 33ft (10m) wider than the rotor span, in all directions.

RUGGED TRANSPORTABLE HELIPADS

The Helimat tactical helipad is easy to deploy, being lightweight and easily transportable. It is also tough and durable. Its 'rip stop' weave technology ensures the fabric will not tear or fray, and it is impervious to petrochemicals.

COMPLETE TRANSPORTABLE HELIPAD KIT

The 100ft by 100ft (30.5m by 30.5m) tactical helipad configured with 25 segments (suitable for a Super Stallion, Black Hawk, Cobra or Super Puma), can be contained in less than 211ft³ (6m³). A Chinook would require a configuration of eight by five Helimat segments (160ft by 100ft [48.8m by 30.5m]).

This tactical helipad can be purchased complete in a 'fly-away kit', including fixing system, 'whacker', repair kit and a deployment guide.

TACTICAL HELIMAT MARINE CORPS TRIALS

In US Marine Corps trials at Navair Lakehurst Airbase, the CGear Tactical Helimat stood fast, even when the Marines attempted to lift and rip apart CGear's joining and anchoring systems using a Black Hawk and a Super Stallion helicopter. There was no risk of the Helimat transportable helipad being sucked up and tangled in the rotors when correctly installed.

Following this successful testing CGear has had significant repeat orders from the US Marines for the transportable helipad.

TACTICAL HELIMAT APPLICATIONS

The CGear Tactical Helimat tactical helipad provides a stable, safe helipad in conditions made dangerous to man and destructive to machine by dust, debris, snowfalls, mudslides or bushfires.

The shape of the CGear tactical helipad can be customised to suit individual requirements, and it can be moved quickly and easily from one task to another.

It can be packed up and deployed at Forward Arming and Refuelling Points (FARPS) increasing helicopter 'time over target'.

BROWNOUT AND FOD PREVENTION

The unique ability of the helicopter to hover above, take off from and land on unprepared areas – including deserts, rocky fields and mountain tops – makes it vulnerable to brownout, the phenomenon of dust and Foreign Object Debris (FOD) thrown up by the helicopter rotor downwash.

A brownout can occur whether landing, taking off or hovering. It can blind operators, sandblast and erode helicopter rotor blades, and force sand into sensitive engine-parts and filters.

The cost of brownouts is vast: in Iraq and Afghanistan they cause three out of every four helicopter accidents, with unnecessary loss of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars of equipment.

The CGear Tactical Helimat tactical helipad prevents brownout through multi-layering of polyethylene mesh with a unique open-weave design. The transportable helipad prevents the sand and dust underneath from coming back up – even when pounded by the most powerful rotor downwash.