Helicopters Airbus Helicopters H145 receives EASA type certificate

The EASA has granted the type certificate for Airbus´ latest helicopter, the five-bladed H145. This certification means, that Airbus Helicopters will be allowed to prepare its operations for customer deliveries towards the end of summer 2020.

The certification covers that the aircraft can operate safely. EASA has certified the single-pilot and instrument flight rules (IFR) capabilities, single engine operations, nigh vision goggles use and a further range of additional capabilities.

Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO commented: “Our new five bladed H145 is an excellent example of our quest for continuous improvement and providing incremental innovation that responds to our customers' requirements [...] This helicopter combines value-added features with the robustness and the reliability of a tried-and-tested bestseller, making it very competitive in the light twin-engine market.”

At Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia, Airbus showed the new H145 for the first time. Only one year later, the test campaign was performed successfully. Airbus tested high altitudes with the aircraft in South America, or several other campaigns in Spain at medium altitudes or at Finland with cold weather.

The H145 is powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines and is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC), as well as with the digital Helionix avionics suite. The four-axis autopilot reduces pilot workload and increases the safety on board.

Airbus added: "This latest upgrade of the H145 family adds a new, innovative five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission H145, increasing the useful load of the helicopter by 150 kg (330 lb). The simplicity of the new bearingless main rotor design will also ease maintenance operations, further improving the benchmark serviceability and reliability of the H145, while improving ride comfort for both passengers and crew."

The manufacturer expects the certification from the U.S.-American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to follow later this year. Airbus is also working on a military version of the H145, which could be certified in 2021.