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The H145 has arrived in Brazil for a customer tour to demonstrate the capabilities of this enhanced Airbus Helicopters rotorcraft in land-based and offshore service.
During visits to the cities of São Paulo, Curitiba, Brasília, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro, the H145 will be presented to civilian and offshore operators, along with governmental and military agencies.
The H145 – previously known as the EC145 T2 – has been upgraded to improve performance in hot and high conditions, augment its flight characteristics, provide lower noise levels, reduce pilot workload and further enhance operational safety. Features include the incorporation of Airbus Helicopters’ signature Fenestron® shrouded tail rotor, application of the company-developed Helionix™ avionics suite, and the use of new Turbomeca Arriel 2 E engines with dual-channel FADEC digital controls.
“By combining the EC145 family’s proven performance with Airbus Helicopters’ continued focus on product development, the H145 is a powerful, comfortable, modern and versatile multi-purpose rotorcraft already coming with a large range of optional to perform a broad mission spectrum”, explained Mesrob Karalekian, Airbus Helicopters’ Vice-President – Head of Latin America region. “We expect the H145 to have the same success in Brazil as it has already seen in other countries. Thanks to its performance, this rotorcraft is able to meet customers’ operational needs in this region’s demanding high temperature environment”.
Designed for superior performance, the H145 provides unrivalled CAT A and PC1 capabilities at maximum take-off weight. Its compact overall size and spacious cabin are also key assets in the offshore market – for which it offers increased capacity and power. These advantages also are delivered in the military version, renamed the H145M – resulting in the very latest high-technology lightweight twin-engine helicopter on the defense market.
The H145’s large sliding side doors and rear clamshell doors ensure quick and easy loading and unloading of patients and cargo, making it one of the most suitable of all helicopters for emergency medical services, police missions, search and rescue, among other duties. With its night vision goggle compatibility, the H145 is also fully equipped to perform missions after dark.
Designed with the goals of customer satisfaction and increased availability in mind, the H145 enables operators to carry out ongoing maintenance and repair work without the need for lengthy inspections and service downtime.
“With 13 EC145-family helicopters in service with civil and governmental operators in Brazil, Helibras, fully supported by Airbus Helicopters, has the necessary means to answer our customer’s requests for logistics and maintenance support,” added François Arnaud, Helibras vice-president Sales and Marketing. “We will also offer specific training for pilots and engineers, complete with theory, practical components and simulator training.”
Since the H145’s first delivery in July 2014 to the German DRF Luftrettung air rescue organization, approximately 20 aircraft have been received by customers worldwide. To date, Airbus Helicopters has booked orders and options for some 140 H145s, along with 15 in the military H145M variant for the German Army and five H145Ms for the Royal Thai Navy.
