Having over forty years’ experience with equipment for shipboard aircraft operation, Curtiss-Wright’s personnel are uniquely trained and experienced in designing and building system solutions for handling aircraft and UAVs on-board ships in the toughest possible environments.
The helicopter Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse (RAST) system and Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse (ASIST) systems are established as the system of choice with navies around the world. Twin Claw – ASIST (TC-ASIST) is a recent variation of ASIST that allows similar operational capability without requiring a securing probe. These fully integrated systems are unique in that they not only enable helicopter pilots to safely land and take-off from the decks of relatively small ships in severe weather conditions and at night, but also to traverse the helicopter into and out of a hangar.
These helicopter handling systems employ an in-deck lightweight deck track system to provide absolute security on deck and precise repeatable traversing to and from the confined hangar parking position. The Curtiss-Wright lightweight track has proven ideal for both new construction and backfit applications.
INDAL’s MANTIS, a specialised battery-powered aircraft handler, provides the capability to manoeuvre helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft within the tight confines of a flight deck or shipboard hangar space. This manoeuvrability and electric operation emitting no fumes also make it suitable for use in land-based maintenance facilities. The MANTIS interfaces directly with the aircraft through a patented Matrix head, with no requirement for additional tow bars or airframe modifications.