· 50kg of additional useful load for increased mission capabilities
· Upgrade available in early 2016
In December, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) awarded the certification of the increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) for the H145.
With this enhancement, the helicopter can carry an extra 50kg, raising the MTOW to a total of 3.7 metric tons. It will be available for customers in early 2016. As the improvement does not require any structural modifications or additional equipment, it will not cause extra costs for the operators.
“By raising the MTOW we are improving the mission capability of the H145, which is highly beneficial for all operators, especially in emergency medical services (EMS), law enforcement and offshore missions, where both high payload and maximum range are directly relevant for efficient helicopter operations”, said Manfred Merk, Head of the H145 programme.
“The new MTOW converts in pure useful load, be it more payload or more fuel.” The H145 is the most advanced member of its family, incorporating Arriel 2E engines and the full-composite Fenestron® shrouded tail rotor, as well as the innovative digital avionics suite Helionix® with 4-axis autopilot.
The global H145 customer fleet has already accumulated more than 11,000 flying hours since the first delivery in July 2014. Today, some 53 helicopters are already in operation in 14 nations.
Airbus Helicopters is a division of Airbus Group. The company provides the most efficient civil and military helicopter solutions to its customers who serve, protect, save lives and safely carry passengers in highly demanding environments.
Flying more than 3 million flight hours per year, the company’s in-service fleet includes some 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in 152 countries. Airbus Helicopters employs more than 23,000 people worldwide and in 2014 generated revenues of 6.5 billion Euros. In line with the company’s new identity, fully integrated into Airbus Group, Airbus Helicopters has renamed its product range replacing the former “EC” designation with an “H”.
