Contracts Group, Bldg 588, Mail Stop 32, Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD 20670-5304

16 -- VIBRATION MONITORING SYSTEM FOR THE H-46 HELICOPTER DUE 021899 POC Contracting Officer, Lynda Frattone, (301) 342-1825, extension 171. WEB: NAVAIR Web Site for Business Opportunities; Click here, http://www.navair.navy.mil/air20/air214/synopndx.cfm. E-MAIL: Click here to contact Contracting Officer, FrattoneLF@navair.navy.mil. The Naval Air Systems Command is hereby seeking source, availability and estimated cost information from qualified business firms capable of providing commercial products and/or technologies that can supply a vibration monitoring system for rotary wing aircraft. This system is necessary for critically required safety capability and an aging aircraft improvement initiative. Each system shall be installed on approximately 230 H-46 helicopters and must be capable of providing the following functionalities: 1) Full time rotor blade track and balance; 2) Flight data recording and cockpit voice recording; and 3) Gearbox and drive train vibration monitoring. The system should have the capability to store this data for no less than 5 flight hours and be downloaded to a commonly available PC type computer. The ground software should be capable of determining and displaying vibrations that exceed specified levels and to ferret out increasing trends in vibrations. Logistical capabilities required include installation of the hardware, software and hardware maintenance, hardware spares, on-site technical representation and on-site training at the organization level. The purpose of this synopsis is to gather information and comments from industry regarding potential approaches to meet the Government needs for an H-46 vibration monitoring system. Based upon our preliminary review the following approaches are hereby being considered: 1) solicitation and award of a Lease Contract to utilize the system in each H-46 helicopter specified. The leasing period shall be for no longer than five years (base year with a four year option); 2) solicitation and award of a five-year Services Contract (base year with a four year option). The firm must be capable of: a) installing the system into each H-46 helicopter specified; and, b) performing engineering and logistics efforts in accordance with the functional and logistical areas identified above. Interested parties are invited to provide any comments on the above approaches and/or offer any alternatives that have not been considered. In addition, sources with existing equipment and/or developments underway are requested to submit complete information including a description of their products and experience, any brochures, pamphlets, or booklets, their specified approach(es), and a cost estimate based on these approach(es). Interested parties are, also, invited to submit data consisting of their emerging technology such as the product development status [i.e. NDI, prototype, in production (numbers produced), fully developed, but not in production.] IT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD BY ALL PARTIES THAT THIS REQUEST IS FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP), NOR IS IT AN INVITATION FOR BID (IFB). IT IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE U. S. GOVERNMENT TO ULTIMATELY ISSUE A SOLICITATION OR A CONTRACT. PLEASE NOTE, IF AN ACQUISITION IS WARRANTED, A DECISION AS TO WHETHER IT WILL BE SET-ASIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESS HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE. THEREFORE, THE GOVERNMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE METHOD OF PROCURING SERVICES BASED UPON OUR ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF INFORMATION RECEIVED AS A RESULT OF THIS INQUIRY. All interested sources may submit their capabilities to the attention of Lynda Frattone via facsimile at (301) 342-1853, email at FrattoneLF@navair.navy.mil, or Naval Air Systems Command, AIR 25433, Building 588, Suite 2, 47253 Whalen Road, Patuxent River, MD 20670-1463. Responses to this announcement must be submitted no later than 18 February 1999. At the discretion of the Government, respondents having products of interest shall be contacted. Note, this synopsis is available at the NAVAIR web site at the address referenced below. Posted 01/20/99 (W-SN289622). (0020)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0157 19990122\16-0012.SOL)