flight international

SHOW

REPORT

16 | Flight International | 8-14 March 2016 flightglobal.com

Louisville, Kentucky was the host city for this year’s

gathering of the global rotorcraft industry at the HAI

Heli-Expo show. With helicopter sales currently in the

doldrums and previously launched programmes still in

development, major product unveils were notable by

their absence. Nonetheless, a number of manufactur-

ers gave hints of what is to come, as they look towards

a future market recovery and the potential application of

new technologies in clean-sheet programmes. And, of

course, there was plenty of new detail on the progress

towards certification of all the helicopters currently in

the works. Report by James Drew and Dominic Perry

For more in-depth coverage of the

global rotorcraft sector, go online to

flightglobal.com/helicopters

HELI-EXPO 2016

A

year on from its launch at

2015’s HAI show, Airbus Hel-

icopters is beginning the first

stage of the sales push for its new

H160 medium twin, as flight-test

activity continues to ramp up on

the model.

Bernard Fujarski, head of the

H160 programme, says 2016

marks the “start of commerciali-

sation” of the rotorcraft. “We will

start to talk with customers and

sign letters of intent with them

and enter into the process of ne-

gotiations.”

Airbus Helicopters chief exec-

utive Guillaume Faury says the

H160 has attracted interest from

“very diverse segments” and no

decision has been taken as to

which variant will be first. The

helicopter was originally due to

debut as an offshore transport

model, but the “softness” of that

market has led Airbus Helicopters

to re-evaluate which segment will

be served first, says Faury.

With some 100h of flight test-

ing so far accumulated, the air-

framer hopes to be in a position

by year-end to accurately define

the performance characteristics

of the helicopter, notably around

maximum take-off weight, which

is still given as 5.5-6t.

It currently has two prototypes

flying, with PT2 – the first to be

fitted with new 1,300shp

(969kW) Turbomeca Arrano en-

gines – joining the test fleet in late

January. Since then it has racked

up around 10h, says Fujarski.

ENGINES SWITCH

The initial flight-test article is still

equipped with Pratt & Whitney

Canada PW210 engines, which

have since been dropped from

the programme.

PT1 will therefore be tempo-

rarily grounded from early March

to have the Turbomeca power-

plants installed.

A third prototype will join the

fleet in early 2017, which will

also be the first to incorporate a

design change derived from the

initial flight-tests and simula-

tions, Fujarski says.

This sees the avionics master

boxes moved from the rear to the

nose of the H160, to improve the

centre of gravity and correct a

nose-up attitude when hovering.

European Aviation Safety

Agency certification is scheduled

for mid-2018; US approval

should follow around six months

later. Service entry should come

by the end of 2018. ■

M

D Helicopters is developing

a new assault helicopter

known as MD6XX as the manu-

facturer also prepares to deliver

an updated version of the com-

mercial MD902 Explorer.

Company owner Lynn Tilton

disclosed development of the 6XX

at the show on 1 March. A non-

flying prototype is expected to ar-

rive in the first quarter of 2017,

ahead of integration with FADEC-

equipped Rolls-Royce M250-

C47E3 engines. Certification is

also intended for next year.

The aircraft is not planned as a

direct replacement for the

MD530F Cayuse Warrior and

MD530G light attack helicopters

respectively ordered by Afghani-

stan and Malaysia, but is a larger,

clean-sheet aircraft aimed at fu-

ture armed aerial scout-type roles

for the domestic and internation-

al markets.

Detailed design work is al-

ready underway, and Tilton

wants it ready by 2018 for deliv-

ery to at least one unidentified

potential customer.

“We’ll probably have a cus-

tomer who will expect delivery at

that time,” she says.

The first artist’s rendering of

6XX will be released sometime

this year. It will also include

some fly-by-wire technologies

and automation, and will have a

target range of 400nm (740km).

Meanwhile, the 902 Explorer,

which features an all-new digital

flightdeck from Universal Avion-

ics Systems, has completed its

first flight and Tilton expects ini-

tial deliveries later this year.

She says MD Helicopters “def-

initely took our attention away

from the 902” in pursuit of the

military MD530F and Malaysian

G-model, but now Explorer is set

for relaunch and recertification

as it looks to lift flagging sales. ■

SALES

Airbus gears up to

boost H160 interest

Still no decision on initial variant amid offshore softness,

as company works to define performance characteristics

Two prototypes are flying, with a third to enter testing in 2017

PROGRAMME

MD Helicopters launches

fresh assault with MD6XX

Dominic Perry/Flightglobal

Dominic Perry/Flightglobal

FIN_080316_016-017.indd 16 03/03/2016 13: