All Nippon Helicopters (ANH) has made the first test flight of its new Airbus H160 intermediate twin helicopter, it announced yesterday. The 95-minute flight at the Marseille Provence Airport in southern France paves the way for the aircraft’s service entry in Japan, where the H160 will replace one of the Airbus AS365s in the operator’s fleet of six AS365s and five H135s for electronic newsgathering.
The H160 was granted its type certificate by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in July, with the certification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau expected early this year. Upon delivery of the helicopter, specialized equipment installation and customization will be performed at Airbus Helicopters’ Kobe facility, before its entry into service. Japan’s electronic newsgathering market is supported by 87 helicopters with nearly 70 percent from Airbus across platforms, including the H125, AS365, H135, and H155.
“Since the introduction of the AS365 helicopter three decades ago, the requirements of the electronic newsgathering market is constantly evolving and has significantly improved. This modern H160 helicopter is a timely welcome for our operations,” said ANH president Jun Yanagawa. The all-composite H160 features noise-reducing Blue Edge main rotor blades and the Helionix accrued pilot assistance with flight envelope protection.