HABCO Awarded $1.4 Million Contract to Develop Advanced Differential Angle Protractor (DAP) to Improve Efficiency in Rigging Naval Helicopters

Glastonbury, Conn., July 27, 2009 --- HABCO, Inc., a leading provider of testing and support equipment for U.S. military aerospace, was recently awarded a $1.4 million contract from the United States Navy to develop and introduce an advanced, state-of-the-art differential angle protractor (DAP) to update and improve efficiency in rigging naval helicopters.

The DAP is a second-generation of the SK2000BAM (Blade Angle Measurement) HABCO previously developed for the U.S. Army. The new DAP will be used during rigging and rigging checkout of naval aircraft such as the Sikorsky SH-60/ MH-60 Seahawk helicopter, which was based on the frame of the Army's UH-60 Black Hawk. We realized the military needed a tool that could not only measure blade angle while the aircraft was moving, but could also do it in less than optimal weather conditions while at sea, explained HABCO CEO Kristin Muschett. Sometimes military personnel are required to perform rigging operations in adverse weather conditions and on non-level surfaces. The current bubble and digital protractor technology does not provide accurate measurements under these conditions.

Failure to properly perform aircraft rigging can also lead to catastrophic flight failure. HABCO is designing the new DAP as a self contained, point of use tool that can take angle measurements of a helicopter blade without being affected by gravity. The angle measurement system uses two angle sensors to zero out the effects of airframe movement. An on-board microprocessor computes the difference of the angles measured by the sensor and displays a calculated value.

HABCO's new DAP will save the U.S. military time and money. Currently, helicopter rigging time can take more than 24 hours. HABCO's innovative DAP system is expected to cut that rigging time down to just 4 hours. Other benefits of the DAP include:

a. Simplified measurements through the use of differential sensors that nullify the effects of aircraft motion and allow rigging operation maintenance in less than optimal conditions.
b. Automatic calculations to eliminate operator computational errors.
c. Full digital design minimizes the need for calibration of the DAP unit.
d. Data storage to later recall or evaluate information collected from rigging.

HABCO, Inc., founded in 1970, is a woman-owned small business that develops innovative testing and ground support equipment for military and commercial aerospace, and alternative energy industries. The company, headquartered in Glastonbury, Connecticut, invents products for U.S. and international companies that ensure safety and performance standards and extend the life of equipment. HABCO is certified to ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 standards. Its largest customers include the U.S. Army, Air Force, Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney, GE and NASA. HABCO has received the Space Flight Awareness Award from NASA's primary industry partner in human space operations, United Space Alliance; and was the 2009 recipient of the Excellence in Manufacturing Award for the Northeast Region from the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. For more information, visit www.habco.biz.