Airbus Helicopters announced on Friday that the latest addition to its twin-engine H145 helicopter family has been certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The new five-bladed H145, an upgraded version of the Airbus’ existing H145, is capable of single-pilot, IFR and single-engine operations. The company plans to begin deliveries toward the end of the summer.
“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,” said Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even. “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.”
The upgraded H145 was introduced at Heli-Expo 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. It is powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines and comes equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC), four-axis autopilot and Airbus’ Helionix digital avionics suite. The H145 has a range of 351 NM, useful load of 4200 pounds and cruise speed of 129 knots. Airbus expects FAA approval of the new H145 later this year followed by the certification of a military version in 2021.
