H160 helicopter – the latest design of Airbus has a beautiful airframe structure, attracting all eyes in the first appearance.
Airbus Helicopters H160 is an extremely beautiful design, more beautiful than all helicopters that you can see in real life. If BMW I8 is a car with the styling of the future, Airbus H160 is also a helicopter designed beyond the same imagination. With a maximum speed of 325 km/h, a range of 852 km, Airbus H160 is suitable for long-range rescue tasks or humanitarian assistance tasks that require multitasking, carrying more people and the ability to carry multiple devices. In addition, H160 is also a helicopter selected by the rich as a vehicle thanks to its beautiful design.
The Airbus Helicopters H160 was first revealed to the public in 2011, at which point it was referred to by company representatives by the designation X4 – a designation which implied it to be a follow-on from the Eurocopter X3, a high-speed hybrid helicopter technology demonstrator. The development program for the X4 cost €1 billion equivalent to $1.12 billion.
Airbus Helicopters presented its new H160 medium-class rotorcraft at the Heli Expo tradeshow in Orlando, Florida, US, in March 2015. The H160 is the latest member in the H generation helicopters, it is intended to replace the AS365 and EC155 models in the firm’s lineup. In June 2015, the first test flight took place; the first customer deliveries were expected in 2018 but have slipped to 2019.
The Airbus Helicopters H160 takes advantage of several advanced manufacturing technologies and materials in order to produce a lighter, more efficient design. H160 has a completely composite body structure, this material makes the helicopter body unlike other helicopters, it is more smooth and beautiful. The composite fuselage provided for greater design freedom of the rotorcraft’s external styling. The other helicopters cannot hide the rivets and the joints between the components. But in H160, the seamless body and the coupling components are reduced to make the shape of the helicopter stand out very sharp.
The helicopter includes an electric landing gear, which is designed for a greater payload capacity and simplified rotorcraft maintenance. This is the first helicopter in the world to do so; according to Airbus the elimination of hydraulic components makes the rotorcraft both lighter and safer. In 2015, Airbus claimed that the all-composite H160 would deliver the same basic performance as the rival AgustaWestland AW139 while being a ton lighter, having a lower fuel consumption and offering 15 to 20% lower direct operating costs.
The H160 is the first rotorcraft to feature the Blue Edge five-bladed main rotor. This incorporates a double-swept shape that reduces the noise generation of blade-vortex interactions, a phenomenon which occurs when the blade impacts a vortex created at its tip, resulting in a 3 to 4 Decibel noise reduction and raising the effective payload by 100 kg compared with a scaled Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin rotor design. Aerodynamic innovations include a biplane tailplane stabiliser for greater low speed stability, and a quieter canted fenestron which combined produce an extra 80 kg of lift.
The H160 is the first civilian helicopter to utilise a canted fenestron anti-torque tail rotor enhances the performance and passenger comfort, while offering flight stability with community-friendly sound levels.
The H160 will be powered by two Turbomeca Arrano turboshaft engines providing 1,100 horsepower, this reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. According to Airbus, the new helicopter combines technologies from 68 formers Airbus helicopters, it could transport up to 12 passengers and fly to a flight-cruise of 287 km/h, so it could be useful to save some fuel.
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A second engine, the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210E, was to be offered as an alternative option, but this was eliminated due to insufficient power output and to reduce design complexity. A redundant backup for the gearbox lubrication system enables in excess of five hours of flight following a primary failure without causing mechanical damage.
The H160 features the Helionix avionics suite, the cockpit being equipped with a total of four multifunctional displays. This system reduces the pilot workload, enhances situational awareness and provides improved flight envelope protection and system redundancy.
Airbus Helicopters collaborated with Esterline CMC to develop portions of the avionics, such as the CMA-9000 Flight Management System and the CMA-5024 GPS landing system sensor, to automate the landing process. A full flight simulator has also been developed for the H160, in partnership with Helisim and Thales Group. The avionics provide a level of commonality with the company’s earlier Eurocopter EC145 T2 and Eurocopter EC175 helicopters. Commentators have stated that this commonality to be similar to AgustaWestland’s rotorcraft family concept.
Airbus Helicopters H160 keeps even more surprises with a VIP version for private users. The $22 million H160 VIP is a super-luxurious version of the world’s most technologically advanced chopper, and it’s a veritable Lamborghini for the skies.
The interior is clean, austere and light, upholstered in fine leather with wood and metal accents. It can be further customized to the buyer’s specifications. The company calling it an “unrivalled combination of innovation, design and performance.”
