Light helicopter manufacturer Enstrom Helicopter announced the delivery of its first Enstrom 480B-G. The Garmin G1000H-equipped helicopter went to Rick Boswell of New Hampshire, who was greeted together with his instructor Roger Sharkey by a large group of employees at the Enstrom factory in Menominee, Michigan.
“When I heard about the G1000H, I had to have it,” Boswell said. “Partner it with the Enstrom 480B, and it’s my perfect helicopter.” Boswell learned to fly helicopters in a 480B at Sharkey’s Helicopters in West Lebanon, New Hampshire.
The G1000H’s PFD is mounted on top of the MFD in the 480B-G, a setup that Enstrom avionics engineer Eric Gjesdahl said “mimics the current 480B configuration, allowing seamless transitions. It also makes the screens equally accessible from both seats, which is important in training.”
The 480B is Enstrom’s top of the line turbine-powered helicopter, equipped with a Rolls-Royce M250-C20w engine. While designed to military training specs, the 480B has seen employment in law enforcement, medical, agriculture and private aviation. Enstrom offers its customers full customization for the exterior paint. Boswell chose a blue and gold Blue Angels-like paint scheme for his helicopter.
The 480B-G achieved certification in July, and Enstrom claims it is the only helicopter in its class equipped with the G1000H avionics system, Garmin’s dual glass-panel system specifically designed for helicopters. The G1000H was first certified in the Bell 407GX in 2011.
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