GB-Bristol: Manufacture of Puma MK2 Aircraft Covers

Manufacture of Puma MK2 Aircraft Covers

The Puma Gazelle Project Team has a requirement to place a three year contract (with a potential option to extend for a further year) for Puma HC Mk2 Environmental Aircraft Covers. The covers should be breathable but water proof and close fitting. The covers shall come with a warranty for at least 4 years against humidity and UV damage and the design of the covers should reflect the need to fit the covers in potentially poor weather conditions. The design solution should protect the aircraft in temperatures down to -30°C and up to +50°C and the technical abilities of the materials and fastenings should remain as advertised within this temperature range. The covers must protect from snow, ice, dust and sand, be suitable for military use, being of a rugged construction and will be required to be sand coloured. The covers should be abrasion resistant and tear resistant and the solution shall come with bags to store the covers.

The Puma Gazelle Project Teams requirement includes a mixture of daily use covers, primary covers and secondary covers. Daily use covers protect the cockpit and nose of the aircraft, (not including the forward mounted DAS and equipment below this area) and the engines (including the PIPS). Primary covers protect the cockpit, nose and equipment on the nose, the engines (and PIPS), the main rotor head, the main rotor blades, the tail rotor head and the tail rotor blades. Secondary covers protect the tail fin, the tail boom, the main gearbox up to the main rotor head, the IR jammer, the wheels and sponsons and the stabiliser.

The supplier will be able to demonstrate that they will be able to design the covers to fit around components that are not currently embodied on the aircraft, (locations and dimensions will be provided). Examples of these components include but are not limited to a Wire Strike Protection System (WSPS), Aircraft Collision Avoidance System (ACAS), antennas and dehumidifier access. Additionally the supplier will be able to demonstrate that they can provide the skills and techniques to measure the aircraft accurately ensuring the suitability of the covers for use including fit, anchoring and safety. Finally the provider shall be competent; having demonstrable experience of supplying covers for rotary winged aircraft, preferably in a military setting and shalll have at least two positive references from previous customers.

The supplier shall be required to measure the aircraft themselves (at a date to be announced) to establish the fit of the covers. The Puma Gazelle Project Team will also give advice to build in capability to fit parts not yet on the aircraft.

In your response to this advert please provide a statement to support the above.

Additional information: The contracting authority considers that this contract may be suitable for economic operators that are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). However, any selection of tenderers will be based solely on the criteria set out for the procurement, and the contract will be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous tender.