Airbus Helicopters H160

Airbus Helicopters H160 is a medium-lift, multi-role helicopter designed and manufactured by Airbus Helicopters, a subsidiary of Airbus. The H160 is designed to perform a wide range of missions, including offshore oil and gas transportation, search and rescue operations, and medical evacuation missions, similar to the Sikorsky S-92 and AgustaWestland AW189. The H160 has been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and has been operated by several helicopter operators, including Babcock International Group and CHC Helicopter. The H160 has also been showcased at several air shows, including the Farnborough Airshow and the Heli-Expo.

Introduction

The Airbus Helicopters H160 was first unveiled at the Heli-Expo in 2015, and made its first flight in 2015, with Guillaume Faury, the CEO of Airbus Helicopters, at the controls. The H160 is designed to replace the Eurocopter EC155 and Eurocopter EC175, and to compete with other medium-lift helicopters, such as the Bell 525 Relentless and the Sikorsky S-76. The H160 has been designed with a range of advanced features, including a composite airframe, a fenestron tail rotor, and a glass cockpit with a Thales avionics system, similar to the Airbus A350 XWB. The H160 has also been designed to meet the latest safety standards, including the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and the Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR), and has been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Design and Development

The design and development of the Airbus Helicopters H160 was led by Airbus Helicopters, with input from several other companies, including Thales, Safran Helicopter Engines, and Liebherr Aerospace. The H160 was designed using advanced computer-aided design (CAD) tools, including CATIA and Siemens NX, and was tested using a range of simulation tools, including wind tunnels and flight simulators, similar to the Airbus A380. The H160 has a range of advanced features, including a composite airframe, a fenestron tail rotor, and a glass cockpit with a Thales avionics system, and has been designed to meet the latest safety standards, including the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and the Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR). The H160 has also been designed to be highly maintainable, with a range of easily accessible components and a health and usage monitoring system (HUMS), similar to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Features and Specifications

The Airbus Helicopters H160 has a range of advanced features, including a composite airframe, a fenestron tail rotor, and a glass cockpit with a Thales avionics system. The H160 is powered by two Safran Helicopter Engines Arrano engines, each producing 1,300 horsepower, and has a range of 120 nm (222 km), similar to the Sikorsky S-92. The H160 has a maximum takeoff weight of 6,050 kg (13,336 lb) and can carry up to 12 passengers, depending on the configuration, similar to the AgustaWestland AW189. The H160 also has a range of advanced safety features, including a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) and a traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS), similar to the Airbus A320.

Operational History

The Airbus Helicopters H160 entered service in 2020, with the first delivery to Babcock International Group, a helicopter operator based in the United Kingdom. The H160 has been operated by several other helicopter operators, including CHC Helicopter and NHV Group, and has been used for a range of missions, including offshore oil and gas transportation, search and rescue operations, and medical evacuation missions, similar to the Sikorsky S-92. The H160 has also been used by several military forces, including the French Navy and the Royal Navy, and has been showcased at several air shows, including the Farnborough Airshow and the Heli-Expo.

Variants

There are several variants of the Airbus Helicopters H160, including the H160M, which is a military version of the helicopter, and the H160B, which is a variant designed for search and rescue operations. The H160M has been ordered by the French Armed Forces and the Royal Navy, and has been designed to meet the latest military standards, including the NATO STANAG standards, similar to the NH90. The H160B has been designed to meet the latest safety standards, including the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and the Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR), and has been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Operators

The Airbus Helicopters H160 is operated by several helicopter operators, including Babcock International Group, CHC Helicopter, and NHV Group. The H160 is also operated by several military forces, including the French Navy and the Royal Navy, and has been used for a range of missions, including offshore oil and gas transportation, search and rescue operations, and medical evacuation missions, similar to the Sikorsky S-92. The H160 has been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and has been designed to meet the latest safety standards, including the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and the Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR), and has been showcased at several air shows, including the Farnborough Airshow and the Heli-Expo, and has been compared to other helicopters, such as the Bell 525 Relentless and the AgustaWestland AW189. Category:Aircraft manufacturers