The Airbus H160 has been undergoing flight tests in the run-up to entering service this year in both civilian and military variants.
Introduced at the Heli-Expo in Orlando, Florida in March 2015, the H160 is the latest generation of Airbus’ H family of helicopters, building on the legacies of the H145 and H175 and replacing the company’s AS365 and EC155 models.
The Airbus H160 helicopter is validated for day or night visual flight rules operations, plus instrument flight rules in non-icing conditions, the documentation discloses.
According to Airbus, the H160 is designed to carry out a wide variety of missions, including offshore transportation, emergency medical services, private and business aviation, and public services. It boasts a composite fuselage and includes the Helionix pilot assistance and automated systems, as well as a sound-reducing Blue Edge double-swept five-bladed main rotor – the first on a rotorcraft. It is also the first civilian helicopter to use a canted Fenestron anti-torque tail rotor. In addition, the conventional hydraulic landing gear is replaced by electric components to make it lighter and safer.
The H160 has a crew of two and can carry up to 12 passengers or a payload of 1,760 kg (3,880 lb). It’s powered by two Turbomeca Arrano turboshaft engines and has a main rotor diameter of 12 m (39 ft). In flight, it has a maximum speed of 175 kn (325 km/h, 202 mph), cruises at 155 kn (287 km/h, 178 mph), has a range of 460 nm (85 km, 530 mi), and a service ceiling of 19,000 ft (5,900 m).
