Flight_International 28Jan2020

28 | Flight International | 28 January-3 February 2020 flightglobal.com

COVER STORY

F

or Airbus Helicopters, the end of the

long road to certification for the H160

now appears to be in sight. Launched

in 2015, the medium-twin is in the

final stages of its development campaign; test

flights ended in late 2019 and, at the time of

writing in mid-January, Airbus Helicopters

was preparing to submit the final pieces of

documentation to the European Union Avia-

tion Safety Agency.

Deliveries are due to begin in the second

half of 2020 – about two years later than ini-

tially planned – with the first aircraft to be

handed to an unnamed US customer.

Experimental test pilot Olivier Gensse has

been involved in the programme since its

very beginning: during a media event to

launch the H160 in 2015 he “flew” journalists

on the airframer’s system helicopter zero,

a simulation device intended to ensure early

maturation of the aircraft.

As you might expect, Gensse is immensely

proud of the 6t-class H160, believing it to offer

a step change in performance over the previ-

ous generation of helicopters. But from the

outside at least, the H160 appears to be more

evolution than revolution. There are distinc-

tive tweaks, such as the hockey-stick-shaped

main rotor blades, canted Fenestron and “bi-

plane” horizontal stabiliser, but it still appears

much as you would expect a helicopter to.

Its engines do offer a step change in

performance, however: Safran Helicopter

Engines promises that its 1,280shp (955kW)

Arrano 1A turboshaft will offer a specific fuel

consumption improvement of 10-15% over

previous-generation powerplants.

NEW PRIORITIES

But the real differences are under the skin.

As you might expect from a test pilot, Gensse

waxes lyrical about the H160’s handling –

something he later shows off during a

40min demonstration flight – but also points

to the enhanced levels of comfort the

helicopter offers.

He says that the H160 marked a departure

for Airbus Helicopters in that it was the first

aircraft it developed with customer priorities

at the heart of the effort.

“Until the new generation, we focused on

the vehicle and tried to build the best aircraft

we could and then said to customers that they

could put whatever they liked in the back.”

This time, customer perspective has been

front and centre. Gensse likens it to the auto-

motive industry – where two cars can be pro-

duced to the same safety standards but, for

some reason, one feels better than the other.

“What you could sell in a car 40 years ago

you can’t sell today – and that’s the same with

helicopters,” he says.

Improved passenger comfort has been

driven by work across “four axes”, says

Gensse: vibration, noise, visibility and

climate control.

Low levels of vibration and noise have

been achieved without a need for add-on sys-

tems, delivering what Gensse calls “a  new

standard”. Improvements can be traced to fea-

tures including the new main rotor blades

and Fenestron, but also the general stability of

the H160. In addition, the fact that no extra

vibration damping system is required saves

40-50kg (88-110lb) in unneeded equipment.

Passengers are now able to use the heating

or cooling system as soon as the engines

are  running. However, Gensse notes that

Now nearing the end of its development cycle, the H160

may appear like just another rotorcraft, but manufacturer

Airbus Helicopters promises a step-change in performance

Progress in

revolutions

DOMINIC PERRY MARSEILLE

Airbus Helicopters

Stability is enhanced by canted

Fenestron and 'biplane' stabiliser