Aviation International News reports that the Airbus H160 helicopter got closer to FAA certification this month with the Federal Aviation Administration’s issuance of a notice of proposed rulemaking for special condition approval “of the helicopter’s main gearbox redundant lubrication system, designed to enable the helicopter to operate for more than 30 minutes after the primary system has failed.” Airbus first applied “for FAA certification approval for the H160 in 2014 and applied for an extension in 2016.” The helicopter “received EASA certification on July 1, 2020; however, various novel design features outside the existing parameters of FAR Part 29 regulation have sowed the FAA approval process, which Airbus executives had hoped would be received as early as 2021.”
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Tag: Airbus Helicopters H160
Airbus Helicopters Sees Need for 300 New Rotorcraft in Pacific in Next Decade
FlightGlobal reports that Airbus Helicopters “sees a requirement for 300 new civil helicopters in the Pacific region over the next decade, with oil and gas to return as a major segment.”
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China’s GDAT Buying 50 Airbus H160 Helicopters
Aviation International News reported that during French President Macron’s state visit to China, Chinese helicopter lessor and operator GDAT announced a contract to purchase 50 H160 intermediate-twin helicopters from Airbus Helicopters. The deal, worth more than $700 million, is the largest single order to date for the H160 on the civil and parapublic market. The two companies also signed a strategic cooperation agreement on support and services capabilities.
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FAA Certifies Safran’s Arrano 1A Turboshaft for H160 Helicopter
Aviation International News reports that the FAA “has granted type certification validation for Safran’s Arrano 1A turboshaft with Fadec, the powerplant in the new Airbus H160 medium-twin helicopter.” The approval “is a significant milestone in obtaining overall FAA certification approval for the helicopter, which is expected later this year.” The Arrano 1A, “which produces up to 1,280 sh, first flew on the H160 in 2016. According to Safran, the engine delivers 10 to 15 percent better specific fuel consumption than comparable legacy powerplants.”
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French Navy Receives its First Airbus H160 Helicopter
Aviation Week reports that the “French Navy has taken delivery of its first Airbus H160 helicopter, an interim buy that is expected to pave the way for a much larger fleet of military-configured aircraft by the end of the decade.”
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Airbus Increases H160 Production
Aviation International News reports that the Airbus Helicopters H160 is to enter serial-production seven years “after its unveiling.” Airbus Helicopters saw “firm orders for 52 H160s last year and handed over the first one to Japan’s All Nippon Helicopter in December.” The H160 “was headed to the U.S. ahead of its long-awaited certification by the FAA and route proving flights with U.S. launch customer PHI.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)