Airwork 850D2 1.0

BK117 B-2/D-2 c/n 1089 ZK-HKZ, BK117-850D2 STC "Airwork"

This is the livery of ZK-HKZ, construction number c/n 1089, (all Kawasaki-built BK117s had c/n's beginning with 1xxx), an important and unique machine in the BK117 timeline over the last thirty years.

This particular machine was the testbed machine in 2009 for the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) which was an evolutionary development of the BK117, carried out by Airwork in Ardmore, New Zealand. Fitted with the new Honeywell LTS101-850 turbines which gave the BK117 a large increase in performance and power, in both normal use and in OEI situations, this brought the BK117 up to date and made an already reliable and efficient machine even more so.

As the BK117 C2 is the brand description used by Eurocopter & KHI for the EC-145 in the Australasian and Far East market, the designation BK117 D-2 marks that this is a true BK117, not an EC-145 derivative.

This livery was used to promote the aircraft's development and this particular machine now serves as one of the Westpac fleet in New Zealand.

I am grateful to Richard Pitt of Airwork, without whose assistance this livery would never have been made.

UPDATE: 24 May 2011, Livery png now modified so that bear paws are now correctly omitted. For convenience you can load up the Radome or Non-Radome BK117 but it will be the same aircraft now with the bear paws deleted.