Airbus Helicopters unveiled its all-new H160
In one of the industry’s most anticipated events, Airbus Helicopters presented its all-new H160, raising the standards for performance, cost effectiveness, passenger comfort and environmental impact to create the medium-class rotorcraft benchmark.
New corporate identity
The H160 opens a new chapter in the history of Airbus Helicopters.
As the first product introduced with the Airbus Helicopters corporate identity and its new numbering designation, this 5.5-6-ton-class rotorcraft’s nose-to-tail breakthroughs in design and systems exemplify the company’s transformation plan that puts customer satisfaction and operational safety first.
Airbus Helicopters unveiled the twin-engine H160 at the Heli-Expo industry show’s opening in Orlando, Florida, where a full-scale representative model was being displayed on the company’s exhibit stand.
“The H160 represents Airbus Helicopters’ strategy to provide the most efficient solutions for our customers, who serve, protect, save lives and safely carry passengers in the most demanding environments,” said President Guillaume Faury. “We are driven by this mission, because what is important to our customers is essential to us.’”
Innovation
The entire design of the H160 was based on one overriding goal: to create added value for customers in terms of performance, economic competitiveness, safety and comfort. Both cleaner and quieter, the H160 takes a step forward in respect for the environment.
Indeed, the H160 brings form and function together in a highly stylized rotorcraft, which integrates as many as 68 different Airbus Helicopters-patented technologies. With a cruise speed of 160 kts., the H160 can carry 12 passengers at distances of up to 120 NM. for oil and gas missions, and a 450-NM range with 20-minute reserve in public service or search and rescue tasks.
The distinctive design of the H160 includes two Airbus Helicopter firsts, both offering improved performance and flight stability: the largest-ever Fenestron® shrouded tail rotor, which is also double-canted at 12-deg. angles, further enhancing anti-torque control efficiency; and the all-new Biplane Stabilizer™, whose unique design involves a staggered placement of the dual-level, interconnected stabilizers.
An additional H160 technology breakthrough is Airbus Helicopters’ initial production use of its Blue Edge® main rotor blades, which reduce exterior noise levels by 50 percent (3 dB) and also allow a payload increase of up to 100 kg. when compared to traditional rotor blades, depending on flight conditions.
Finally, the H160’s integration of Airbus Helicopters’ Helionix® avionics marks its latest application of the first digital avionics suite to be fully designed and integrated by a rotorcraft manufacturer.
Operators will benefit from the increased safety that Helionix® provides through reduced pilot workload, enhanced situational awareness, improved flight envelope protection and system redundancy.
As the first helicopter to be released under the new Airbus Helicopters identity which fully representative of the company’s core values of excellence, agility, unity and integrity, the H160 introduces the company’s new way of naming its product lines in line with its transformation.
The helicopter’s first flight will take place in 2015 and service entry is planned for 2018. To discover more helicopters, visit our Aerospace category.
©Alain Ernoult (Picture 1, 2, 4) / ©Productions Autrement Dit (Picture 3)
