At the 2025 Paris Air Show, the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and PhotonFirst announced their collaboration on the development of an advanced Structural Health and Usage Monitoring System (SHUMS) specifically for helicopters. This joint effort represents a major advancement in real-time monitoring of structural loads and fatigue during flight within the aerospace industry.
Unplanned maintenance and expensive repairs continue to challenge helicopter operators, impacting both safety and operational efficiency. Predictive maintenance, supported by precise load monitoring, helps to address these issues early, minimizing risks, reducing downtime, and lowering long-term maintenance costs. The more accurately loads can be tracked, the better operators can assess the condition of the aircraft structures.
PhotonFirst will debut its new aerospace-certified fiber optic sensing system at the Paris Air Show, engineered to perform under extreme conditions. Certification for its use on the NH90 helicopter is expected in July, marking a significant step in the adoption of fiber optic sensing in aviation.
In partnership with PhotonFirst, NLR is now working to evolve this technology into a fully integrated SHUMS solution, aiming to set a new benchmark in helicopter health monitoring. Their combined expertise is paving the way for more reliable, predictive maintenance capabilities and improved operational readiness across the rotorcraft sector.
