Airbus Helicopters H160 (formerly X4)

Matej

Multiuniversal creator
Joined
13 February 2006
Messages
2,607
Reaction score
419
Website
www.hitechweb.genezis.eu
I think for the first time some specific info:

Eurocopter president and CEO Lutz Bertling says specifications for the new X4 helicopter will be “frozen” in the second quarter, before June, to be followed by a formal launch of the program.

Designed as a replacement for the EC155 Dauphin medium-class twin, the X4 is to set the stage for technologies that Bertling says will be baseline for all Eurocopter helicopters in the 2020 decade.

“Flying this helicopter will be a totally different way of flying an aircraft,” said Bertling at the Helicopter Association International’s annual exhibition and trade show in Orlando this morning. “The first time you set foot in this helicopter, you will miss something – the cockpit.”

Bertling acknowledges that some of the technologies, for which the French government and others are providing research funding, will not be ready for introduction until after the X4 comes to market in 2016.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/03/06/353965/he11-eurocopter-readies-for-cockpit-less-x4-launch.html
 
Intriguing.

So is the X4 going to be controlled by a phone app or does it have a raised Wessex style cockpit? ;D
 
The main cockpit display in Eurocopter’s X-4 will be projected on the windshield, with the flight path shown in highway-in-the-sky style. A central display, in a more conventional head-down position, will present navigation and power information.

Source:
http://www.ainonline.com/?q=aviation-news/ainalerts/2011-10-13/sagem-touts-fly-wire-benefits-eurocopter-x4

Artist's impression of Eurocopter X4 provided by Eurocopter published in Safran newsletter.

Source:
http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/products/airframes/X4-Dauphin-Replacement-Planned-in-Two-Steps_73733.html
 

Attachments

  • eurocopterx4cockpit_0.jpg
    eurocopterx4cockpit_0.jpg
    81.2 KB · Views: 1,338
  • Eurocopter X4 rendering.jpg
    Eurocopter X4 rendering.jpg
    49.4 KB · Views: 1,328
  • 000145285_12.jpg
    000145285_12.jpg
    21 KB · Views: 1,309
Eurocopter X4 Design Details Emerge

by THIERRY DUBOIS December 5, 2013, 3:43 PM
A new artist rendering of the in-development Eurocopter X4 medium-twin helicopter appeared today during a presentation made at the EASA Rotorcraft Symposium in Cologne, showing design changes made since 2011. A horizontal empennage with a two-level lifting surface is visible on the tailboom, forward of the shrouded tail rotor. The fuselage, aft of the cabin, includes a “skirt,” the role of which is still unknown.


Its main rotor retains five blades, which seem to be drawn from the Blue Edge research blades, have a double-swept design intended to reduce blade-vortex interaction and noise. The X4, a replacement for the AS365/EC155 Dauphin series, will compete in the 9,000- to 12,000-pound category and be released in two versions.


The first, less advanced, version of the helicopter will enter service in 2017. In 2020, the second iteration of the X4 will feature a cockpit with advanced human-machine interface and fly-by-wire controls. Customers will have the choice between two 1,100-shp engine options: the Turbomeca TM800 or the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210. Messier-Bugatti-Dowty will supply electric brakes.
No new pictures so far.
Source: http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainalerts/2013-12-05/eurocopter-x4-design-details-emerge
 
Suspect the "skirts" are either the landing gear or are housing the landing gear.
 
Artist's impression of Eurocopter X4 shown on December 05, 2013.


Source:
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainalerts/2013-12-05/eurocopter-x4-design-details-emerge
 

Attachments

  • eurcopterx4.gif
    eurcopterx4.gif
    134.3 KB · Views: 967
Did not get squat out of the Airbus Helicopters folks at Heli Expo a fortnight ago :( regarding this. In fact was hoping that it be unveiled this year :(
evidently not considering its been on the cards for the last few years.

Guess we will have to wait and watch :)

Cheers
 
"HELI-EXPO: Airbus Helicopters reveals progress on X4 development"
by: Stephen Trimble
18:34 25 Feb 2014

Source:
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/heli-expo-airbus-helicopters-reveals-progress-on-x4-396316/

Airbus Helicopters confirmed on 25 February that ground testing has started on the 4t-6t twin-engine X4 family of helicopters, providing a rare glimpse inside its most highly anticipated development programme.

The replacement of the Dauphin helicopter family that will be offered with both Turbomeca and Pratt & Whitney Canada engines is on track for first flight in 2015, says Guillaume Faury, president and chief executive.

“We have a lot of rig tests ongoing,” He says.

The “helicopter zero” simulation rig has entered a test campaign, Faury says, a key step in maturing the flight controls and avionics integration.

Meanwhile, the company also has been working to prepare the unique, all-composite structure of the X4 aircraft. An initial prototype of the fuselage will be delivered later this year, he says.

Another effort is already underway to develop the five-bladed rotor system and a new main gear box, Faury says.

An EC155 flying testbed has accumulated 150 flight hours on the new rotor blade design, he says. Meanwhile, the main gearbox has started endurance testing, he says.

“All of these technologies are made available to increase safety and cost of operation,” Faury says.

Separately, Turbomeca has confirmed completing the first test run of the 1,100shp Arrano 1A turboshaft engine. Pratt & Whitney Canada has already developed the PW210 engine that is also selected for the X4 programme.

The aircraft is being positioned to compete in a market sector between the EC145T2, which is on track for certification in the second quarter, and the EC175, Faury says.

The X4 concept has been in development several years and it predates the recent rebranding of Eurocopter as Airbus Helicopters. As the first new aircraft scheduled to enter service after the rebranding, the X4 will receive a new designation without the “EC” prefix.

But Faury declined requests to identify the new branding of the X4.

“We have to decided on what will be the designation for the Airbus Helicopters aircraft,” he says.
 
On March 3, 2015, Airbus Helicopters will present their new helicopter project X4. B)
Heli-Expo 2015 - Airbus Helicopters teaser
Say Hello to the first of the next generation.
Join us at the Airbus Helicopters Booth #2437 for a special presentation on March 3, 2015.


Teaser:
http://youtu.be/6Z1WVCVYsy0

Code:
http://youtu.be/6Z1WVCVYsy0
 
Published on Feb 3, 2015

Say Hello to the first of the next generation.

Join us at the Airbus Helicopters Booth #2437 for a special presentation on March 3, 2015.

http://youtu.be/NZTVd4UM8FE
 
From December 31 of last year, looks like we missed this article. Wasn't sure if I should post this article in the Airbus Helicopters X4 topic or the Japan UH-X topic:

"Airbus Offers X4 For Japanese Army UH-X"
Dec 31, 2014 Bradley Perrett | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Source:
http://aviationweek.com/advanced-machines-aerospace-manufacturing/airbus-offers-x4-japanese-army-uh-x

Airbus is urging Japan to base its next army utility helicopter on the X4, an advanced rotorcraft that the European manufacturer is developing for the civil market.

If the offer is accepted, the army UH-X program could be a breakthrough in Japan’s process of entering into the global arms market, since the military X4 would become a partly Japanese product offered for international sale.

Because Japan is now willing to consider arms exports, Airbus Helicopters and longtime partner Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) do not have to consider the old, inefficient Japanese industrial practice of complete or near-complete license production of foreign aircraft at extremely slow rates. Instead, they have discussed the possibility of the Japanese company building the drive train and rotor for all X4s, says an industry official who is closely watching progress in the program.

Joint production would fulfill the Japanese defense ministry’s hopes that the army UH-X would support a civil export program. Conceivably, KHI could also do final assembly of X4s for the Asian civil market, especially since the company would probably need an assembly line for those delivered to the Japanese army.

The ministry intends to order about 150 army UH-X helicopters over 20 years. An unrelated Japanese navy helicopter program is also called UH-X.

A team comprising Bell and Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) appears to be the other main contender for UH-X, probably offering a version of the Bell UH-1, such as the 412 or UH-1Y Viper. Sikorsky says its S-76D would suit the requirement, but industry officials say its only possible Japanese partner, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, may not be interested.

Like Bell and Sikorsky, Airbus confirms its interest in the army UH-X program, but it does not name the aircraft it proposes as the basis for development. Its alternative offering was the EC155, but Airbus has suggested that helicopter for South Korea’s similar LCH-LAH program.

Choosing the X4 would raise risks for Japan, since the type is not even due to fly until 2015. But it would also simplify the allocation of manufacturing work, since Airbus cannot have decided yet on the production setup for the type. At this early stage in the program there should also still be opportunities to change the design to suit Japanese military requirements – at the risk of undermining civil competitiveness.

The Japanese army is worried by the risk that it would be forced to operate a basically civilian, and therefore not battleworthy, utility helicopter, an industry official says. The UH-1Y, used by the U.S. Marine Corps, would not present that problem, though it would also have a very small civil market, if any. The X4, UH-1Y and Bell 412 would all meet Japan’s requirement for two engines.

The defense ministry’s development budget for the army UH-X, ¥23-26.3 billion ($193-220 million), looks about right for developing a military version of the X4, industry officials say.

Armies sometimes need more powerful engines than civil operators do, because military versions of helicopters are fitted with more equipment, may have to carry heavier loads, and should have more maneuverability. Even substituting an engine with greater output than the X4’s currently planned Turbomeca TM800 and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210, both of about 820 kW (1,100 hp.), may be possible within the Japanese budget, an industry official says. But Airbus is aiming at an unusually efficient drive and rotor system for the X4, so the type may be able to cope with a higher power loading than usual, that person says.

The weights of the X4 are unknown. Airbus refers to it as a successor to the AS365, which has a gross weight of just 4.3 metric tons in its current version, and the EC155, of 4.9 tons. But it is also aimed at competing with the highly successful AgustaWestland AW139, which, with a normal maximum weight of 6.4 tons, is in quite a different class. In an earlier phase of the UH-X program, Japan wanted a weight of about 5 tons, but the ministry declines to state its current specification to avoid prejudicing the competition.

The UH-1Y, able to fly at 8.4 tons, would be even further from Japan’s requirement. But the Bell 412, a civil derivative of the UH-1, has a gross weight of 5.4 tons. FHI built the UH-1Hs and UH-1Js that Japan is seeking to replace, adding to the industrial appeal of a Bell offering.

Indicating the power requirements for a modern battlefield utility helicopter in this class, the British army’s AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat, of 6 tons gross weight, has two LHTEC CTS800 engines each with a maximum continuous output of 955 kW. Its power loading is therefore 3.1 kg per kW.

The ministry hopes to launch UH-X development by March 2016. Bidders are awaiting a request for proposals, but the ministry may first issue a request for comment, seeking guidance on how it should proceed.
 
"Airbus Helicopters drops PW210 engine on 'repositioned' X4"
By: Dominic Perry
London
Source: Flightglobal.com
14:52 18 Feb 2015

Source:
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/airbus-helicopters-drops-pw210-engine-on-39repositioned39-409180/


On the eve of the official unveiling of its new X4 medium-class rotorcraft, Airbus Helicopters has sensationally ditched one of the two engine suppliers on the programme and hinted at a heavier aircraft than previously thought.

The medium-twin X4 was initially proposed with a choice of either Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210E or Turbomeca Arrano powerplants, both in the 1,100shp (809kw) range – but now the former engine has been dropped.

Airbus Helicopters says that following a “comprehensive market assessment” it will move the positioning of the new aircraft “consequently necessitating a significant engine power increase”.

That is thought to mean the X4 will be larger than the 4.3t AS365 or 4.9t EC155 it is slated to replace, bringing it closer to the 6.4t AgustaWestland AW139 which uses 1,600shp-rated P&WC PT6 engines.

As such, Airbus Helicopters will not work with P&WC to develop a “growth version” of the PW210E. Turbomeca has always given the power rating on its all-new Arrano turboshaft as between 1,100-1,300shp.

However, the maiden sortie of the X4 – due to be launched on 3 March at the forthcoming HAI show in Orlando – may still be with the P&WC engine, given the development timeline of the Arrano.

Patrick Moncoutié, Arrano programme vice-president at the French engine manufacturer, says discussions on sole sourcing have been taking place since last year. In return it has given a commitment to Airbus Helicopters to accelerate the pace of the new powerplant “to be ready for first flight [of the Arrano] as soon as possible”.

That milestone was originally envisaged for 2016, but Moncoutié says that may now come this year. “With a single-source scenario, we save at least six months.”

However, he points out that a power increase cannot be delivered at the same time as advancing its development.

Certification of the engine is likely to be achieved by the end of 2017, ahead of service entry of the X4 in 2018.
 
Goes without saying. They never are at planned weight. Or Airbus is concerned with Bell 525 market penetration potential
 
Well nearly every aircraft grows a bit, but a bit surprising to see it has already outgrown a planned engine.
 
"Airbus Helicopters selects X4 engine"

Source:
http://www.helis.com/database/news/x4_arrano/

Airbus Helicopters, February 18, 2015 - Marignane - In 2012, Airbus Helicopters launched the X4 initial design concept around two highly capable turboshaft engines options: Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW210E and Turbomeca’s ARRANO.

At the conclusion of this preliminary phase, and founded upon a comprehensive market assessment, Airbus Helicopters has decided to amend the product positioning, consequently necessitating a significant engine power increase.

Multiple scenarios have been studied with both engine manufacturers. Airbus Helicopters and Pratt & Whitney Canada have decided not to pursue a growth version of the PW210E engine for the X4 Program. Nevertheless, Pratt & Whitney Canada will continue to provide support until completion of the initial phase.

Airbus Helicopters values Pratt & Whitney Canada as a strong partner on the existing EC135 and EC175 platforms and is collaborating with P&WC on new opportunities including the PW210.

The X4 program will therefore enter into the full-scale development with a new uprated Turbomeca ARRANO engine. The X4 is Airbus Helicopters’s new generation medium twin-engine helicopter. Incorporating innovative technologies, the X4 will be tailored for a wide range of applications, including oil and gas operations, emergency medical services, public services, business and private aviation.

X4 will be presented to the public for the first time at HAI on the 3rd of March 2015.

About Airbus Helicopters: Airbus Helicopters is a division of Airbus Group, a global pioneer in aerospace and defense related services. Airbus Helicopters is the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer and employs more than 23,000 people worldwide. With 44 percent market share in civil and parapublic sectors, the company’s fleet in service includes some 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in more than 150 countries. Airbus Helicopters’ international presence is marked by its 29 customer centers and participations and its worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents. Airbus Helicopters’ range of civil and military helicopters is the world’s largest; its aircraft account for one third of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. The company’s chief priority is to ensure the safe operation of its aircraft for the thousands of people who fly more than 3 million hours per year.
 

Attachments

  • x4_arrano.jpg
    x4_arrano.jpg
    56.8 KB · Views: 416

Attachments

  • AirbusHelicoptersH160_HAI_Expo_2015.jpg
    AirbusHelicoptersH160_HAI_Expo_2015.jpg
    41.1 KB · Views: 233
"Airbus Helicopters unveils H160 medium twin"
by Thierry Dubois
- March 3, 2015, 11:00 AM

Source:
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2015-03-03/airbus-helicopters-unveils-h160-medium-twin

Airbus Helicopters unveiled this morning at Heli-Expo 2015 the H160 medium twin, a long-awaited successor for the Dauphin family and designed to lock horns with the AgustaWestland AW139 in the 12-passenger market. Codenamed X4 until now, the clean sheet design features Blue Edge main rotor blades for quieter operation, a canted Fenestron tail rotor for increased payload and the Airbus Helicopters-developed Helionix avionics suite installed on the EC145T2 and EC175. Other innovations include a full composite airframe, a biplane stabilizer–for improved main-rotor efficiency–and an electric landing gear. On display here (Booth 2437) is a full-size mockup. First flight is planned for this year and entry into service in 2018.

For the offshore oil-and-gas mission, the H160 will offer class 1 takeoff performance for 12 passengers and a 120-nm radius of action. In search-and-rescue, hover out of ground effect can be maintained at up to 5,000 feet and range reaches 450 nm with a 20-minute reserve. The smooth cruise speed will be 160 knots, without any counter-vibration system.

Aurélie Gensolen, Dauphin family and X4 marketing product manager, said this is equivalent to the AW139’s performance, “for one metric ton less.” Speaking during a pre-show briefing at company headquarters in Marignane, France, she would not give a precise mtow but said the H160 belongs to the 5.5- to 6-ton category (12,000 to 13,000 pounds). The AW139’s optional mtow is 6.8 tons (just under 15,000 lbs). “Operating costs are directly linked to the weight,” she emphasized. Airbus estimates the H160 will have a fuel burn advantage of 15 to 20 percent over the AW139.

The five Blue Edge blades, already seen on an EC155 demonstrator, will bring a three-decibel improvement over the noise level of a production EC155. The 12-degree canted tail rotor is the first such design with a shrouded Fenestron. It combines the normal anti-torque role and a vertical lift component, which increases payload by some 90 pounds, according to Bernard Fujarski, Airbus’s senior v-p for the X4 program.

The third major aerodynamic feature is the biplane stabilizer. It retains its stabilizing function in forward flight and increases stability in approach, according to its designers. The biplane stab also reduces the masking effect such a surface has on main rotor thrust; the bottom line is another 110 pounds of payload improvement.

The electric landing gear is seen as lighter and safer than its hydraulic equivalent. For safety, the key is eliminating lines full of high-pressure hydraulic fluid below the cabin floor. Zodiac Aerospace is thus supplying the first-ever electric landing gear on a helicopter, AIN understands.

A deicing system is not planned yet, although provisions have been made. Demand is not expected at a compelling enough level anytime soon, as “most oil-and-gas operations with medium twins take place in the Gulf of Mexico and Asia,” Gensolen said. Fujarski added that the weight penalty would be “greater than one passenger.” The AW139 is available with an optional “full ice protection system.”

The Helionix flight deck is similar to that of the EC175, based on four six- by eight-inch displays. A major difference is the return of the overhead panel for engine controls. Cursor-control devices are a key pilot interface and for the mission display a touchscreen will be optional.

The avionics philosophy remains the same as in the EC175, as design engineers have strived to alleviate pilot workload. Another focus in the cockpit’s design is improved exterior visibility, test pilot Olivier Gensse explained. The H160 will be certified for single- and two-pilot operation.

Most composite materials for the airframe are similar to those found on the military NH90. Airbus expects a reduction in maintenance needs and “maximized occupant safety.” An innovation on the rotor hub is the use of thermoplastics for lower-cost manufacturing, reduced weight and, above all, damage tolerance–a crack will propagate very slowly. Airbus Helicopters designers believe the hub has the greatest thickness ever of a thermoplastic part in aerospace. Conventional rotor hubs are metallic, although other Airbus Helicopter models such as the AStar are equipped with composite hubs, which use glass fiber and thermoset resin. The H160’s hub is made from carbon fiber with a thermoplastic resin.

On February 12, the first prototype airframe was still in the paint shop. It was incomplete, missing its main rotor and engines, among other components. Three prototypes–dubbed PT1, PT2 and PT3–will be joined by a pre-production (PS01) aircraft in flight tests. Gensse will be the test pilot aboard PT1, along with two flight test engineers. An EC155 demonstrator has been helping with development of the Blue Edge blades, the stabilizer and the canted tail rotor and will keep supporting the H160 program.

Airbus Helicopters is also introducing comprehensive new ground-test facilities to facilitate development of the H160. These include a dynamic integration testbed and a system integration testbed–respectively the “dynamic helicopter zero” (DHC0) and the “system helicopter zero” (SHC0).

The goal of DHC0 is to ensure the maturity of dynamic systems. These include the flight control system, rotors, drive shafts, gearboxes, engines, etc. “The more we find with DHC0, the easier the flight tests,” said Gary Clark, head of vehicle test and integration. DHC0 also can be seen as a means for fast testing, as a modification is easier to implement on the testbed than it is on a prototype. It is to start running this month and will also be used during the flight test and certification phases. “The first run of DHC0 is as important as the first flight of PT1,” Fujarski emphasized.

All individual components have already been tested. DHC0 is all about integration, Clark said. The program includes engine controls, acoustics, thermal and maintainability trials, among others.

A critical subassembly of DHC0 is the main gearbox, and Airbus claims to have learned lessons from the EC225’s problems. The H160’s main gearbox is a clean-sheet design with a new approach to lubrication redundancy. Two independent systems run 100 percent of the time. In case the main lubrication system fails, the backup provides enough lubrication for about five hours. The backup system has no cooling circuit, being entirely internal. In case both systems fail, the run-dry capability has already been demonstrated to be greater than 30 minutes. This demonstrated duration is expected to be increased through more trials. The rotation speed of the gears has been reduced, too, thus reducing the thermal build-up rate.

For electric and hydraulic systems, SHC0 runs in parallel to DHC0. It is all about anticipating problems for certification and maturity, said Eric Jansonnie, head of system test. Some components are simulated, such as the engines: for example, electric motors enable the generators to run. SHC0 entered into service in January.

Thanks to the new facility, issues have already been found, such as how two of the systems are integrating. Some design teams that were previously distant have been gathered around SHC0 to foster better cooperation. SHC0 is also an important tool–nearly a flight simulator–for flight deck development.

Another tool is the digital mockup. A notable use is to involve customers in the maintainability aspects. For example, retractable footsteps have been integrated in the side fuselage for easier access to the engines. A virtual mechanic could “test” them, thus pre-validating the design.

The MSG-3 process, already used on the EC175 to optimize the maintenance program, is this time involving customers at an earlier stage. Technical documents will be based on images (still or animated) with accompanying text–as opposed to text with accompanying illustrations. A health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) will be standard on the H160.

Airbus wants the H160 to be “a mature aircraft from day one.” The target is to reach a 95 percent availability rate from the first entry into service, up from the EC175’s 90 percent. Operational availability had already been the focus of many efforts on the EC175 program.

The design of the H160 has not been only about technical details, but style has been fostered, too. Guillaume Chielens, who was formerly employed by the PSA Peugeot Citroën automotive group, heads the style bureau. “A driver was the history of the company, but we’ve also had to show it is a new aircraft and give it a strong identity, which could make it as recognizable as a Dauphin,” Chielens explained.

The nose of the H160 creates a link with the EC175, he added. The black “mask” on the livery was created to contribute to modernity. Some lines could still evolve. Flight tests will help designers choose between various fairings at the rotor hub level, for example.

Debates with the rest of the design engineers have been numerous but common ground could often be found, such as with aerodynamicists, Chielens said. “But we can't measure the added value of style,” he pointed out.

Airbus Helicopters plans to begin taking orders for the H160 in 2016.



Operation Restore Share

“Our goal is to restore the 40 percent market share we used to have in this segment,” said Bernard Fujarski, Airbus Helicopters senior v-p for the X4 (H160) program. He defines the medium segment as 4.5 to 7 metric tons (9,900 to 15,400 pounds). Another competitor is thus the Sikorsky S-76D. “We see the AW139 as our main rival but the S-76 fleet is a target for replacement,” said Aurélie Gensolen, Dauphin family and X4 marketing product manager.

Applications will range from offshore to EMS, public services and VIP transportation. Today, the annual market is in the 120- to 150-unit range for medium helicopters. “Over the next 20 years, this is the most promising market in helicopters thanks to growth and replacement,” Fujarski added. Production of the AS365N3+/EC155 Dauphin family will continue “as long as there is demand and it is profitable,” Gensolen said.

A military H160 is seen as doable but there is no plan for it yet.



Power Increase Leaves Turbomeca In, Pratt Out

H160 customers will not have to choose between the Turbomeca Arrano 1A and the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210E. The H160’s product positioning is different from what it was in 2012 and the power need has increased, Airbus Helicopters explained in February. Pratt & Whitney Canada, which was first selected on the X4 program, decided not to pursue a growth version of the 1,100-shp class PW210E, leaving the 1,100- to 1,300-shp Arrano the only remaining option. Nevertheless, Pratt & Whitney Canada engines will be used for early tests on the dynamic helicopter zero testbed and the first H160 prototype.



X4 Design Evolved Since 2011 Concept

In its definitive form, the X4 is relatively far from the early design unveiled in June 2011. At the time, envisioned was a radically new man-machine interface, including touchscreens, other advanced displays and fly-by-wire (FBW) controls. Former CEO Lutz Bertling often emphasized that the pilot would benefit from enhanced assistance. In a famous quote, he started saying in 2011 that someone taking one of the front seats would miss something–the cockpit.

According to Airbus Helicopters officials, the company is now focusing on those innovations that “bring real value to the customer.” FBW controls, for instance, were eventually deemed unsuited to a medium civil helicopter, as opposed to heavy or military rotorcraft. The weight advantage would have been marginal, for a much more expensive system. “The autopilot already does a lot of things FBW controls would do,” explained Bernard Fujarski, senior v-p for the X4 program.



H160 Inaugurates New Name Scheme

All Airbus Helicopters products are being renamed with an H as the first letter, thus dropping Eurocopter’s EC acronym. Those models still bearing Aerospatiale's legacy AS initials will keep them. In future, single- and twin-engine helicopters will no longer be distinguished by a 0 or 5 at the end of the name. One exception is the AS350 B3e Ecureuil/AStar, renamed H125.

Here are the old names and their new equivalents:

EC120 Colibri is now H120

AS350 B3e Ecureuil/AStar is now H125

AS355 Ecureuil/TwinStar is now AS355

EC130 is now H130

EC135 is now H135

EC145 is now H145

EC155 is now H155

AS365 Dauphin is now AS365

EC175 is now H175

AS332 Super Puma is now AS332

EC225 Super Puma is now H225

An M at the end of the model name will denote a military version.
 
Artist's impressions of the Airbus Helicopters H160, not photographs.

Source:
http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/airbus-removes-veil-h160-project
 

Attachments

  • DF-AIRBUSX4_1_AirbusHelicopters.jpg
    DF-AIRBUSX4_1_AirbusHelicopters.jpg
    288 KB · Views: 231
  • DF-AIRBUSX4_3_AirbusHelicopters.jpg
    DF-AIRBUSX4_3_AirbusHelicopters.jpg
    229.5 KB · Views: 213
  • DF-AIRBUSX4_2_AirbusHelicopters.jpg
    DF-AIRBUSX4_2_AirbusHelicopters.jpg
    206 KB · Views: 153
Source:
http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/rotorhub/heli-expo-2015-introducing-h160/
http://www.pilootenvliegtuig.nl/2015/03/03/scoop-airbus-helicopters-introduceert-h160/
 

Attachments

  • e982735c.jpg
    e982735c.jpg
    296.8 KB · Views: 58
  • fenestron_verticale.jpg
    fenestron_verticale.jpg
    173 KB · Views: 41
  • ar_gauche_horizontale.jpg
    ar_gauche_horizontale.jpg
    111.6 KB · Views: 38
VTOLicious said:
...what a beauty!

Well another sexy French helicopter. Very nice lines. Impressive claims for performance as well.
 
I am at Heli Expo and was in the front during the unveiling, here are my pics from this morning,

enjoy and cheers

IMG_0410_zpsxro85ajz.jpg


IMG_0418_zpsupk1zfla.jpg


IMG_0422_zpse2aqm9mn.jpg


IMG_0436_zpstr5utnit.jpg


IMG_0449_zpsx0sbfcmn.jpg


IMG_0442_zpss8uo6bha.jpg


IMG_0454_zpszayazbqm.jpg


IMG_0450_zpsku0nylqe.jpg


IMG_0433_zpsw1wzxejb.jpg
 
Source:
http://www.intelligent-aerospace.com/articles/2015/03/airbus-helicopters-unveils-all-new-h160-medium-class-rotorcraft-formerly-called-x4.html

The H160 integrates Airbus Helicopters’ Helionix avionics, designed to deliver increased safety through reduced pilot workload, enhanced situational awareness, improved flight envelope protection, and system redundancy. In service today on the EC175 and EC145 T2, Helionix is an avionics family concept that enables software improvements to be integrated and retrofitted on the H160 as well as other helicopters in the company’s current, future, and evolved product lines, officials say.
 

Attachments

  • AirbusHeliAvionics.jpg
    AirbusHeliAvionics.jpg
    119.9 KB · Views: 54
Very cool images everyone,thanks alot for sharing.




regards


Pedro
 
Indeed great pictures! Thanks for posting yours RavenOne.
 
Published on Mar 3, 2015

The new Airbus H160 helicopter incorporates many new technologies developed through the company's X4 program.

http://youtu.be/kaeRv27oliI
 
Published on Mar 4, 2015

Airbus Helicopters makes history with the unveiling of the H160, the first aircraft of the H generation. Watch CEO Guillaume Faury present the new helicopter and introduce the company's new branding at Heli-Expo 2015.

http://youtu.be/05zS6rH8Nd4
 
Some nice photographs of the full-scale mock-up of the Airbus Helicopters H160 on display at HAI Heli-Expo 2015.

Source:
http://www.heliweb.com/wp/2015/03/04/the-future-is-now-airbus-helicopters-unveils-its-all-new-h160-as-the-benchmark-for-medium-class-rotorcraft/
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_Q_cvcUQAAy7ej.jpg:large
http://aerossurance.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IMAG10091-1024x579.jpg
 

Attachments

  • H160-Unveil-2015.jpg.6025550-940x400.jpg
    H160-Unveil-2015.jpg.6025550-940x400.jpg
    99.4 KB · Views: 451
  • B_Q_cvcUQAAy7ej.jpg large.jpg
    B_Q_cvcUQAAy7ej.jpg large.jpg
    83.5 KB · Views: 437
  • IMAG10091-1024x579.jpg
    IMAG10091-1024x579.jpg
    164 KB · Views: 421
A nice aircraft, without doubt. I just can't help the feeling, that the one, who wrote that
article on heliweb.com, more often writes for the company with the bitten apple, or for
companies selling handbags and backpacks made from Kevlar or carbon fibre as the
most fashionable accessoires. That Airbus "made history" still has to be proven, or maybe
in a sense every new aircraft makes history.
Well, publicity department vs. construction department, 2 : 1 at half-time . ::)
 
VTOLicious said:
Keen to see how innovative this helicopter really is...

Hmm, not even close ;D
 

Attachments

  • X4_A160.jpg
    X4_A160.jpg
    814.2 KB · Views: 407
Say Hello to the H160

Published on Mar 5, 2015

The H160 opens a new chapter in the history of Airbus Helicopters. Joining the product range between the H145 and the H175, this innovative medium helicopter becomes the first new member of the H generation. The entire design 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. Configurations being developed include offshore transportation, business and private aviation, public services, and commercial passenger transport.

https://youtu.be/Em9X_pf_xc8
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom