Airbus Helicopters has certified a new alternate gross weight (AGW) and a new single-pilot IFR (SPIFR) Helionix cockpit for its H135 light twin. The EASA approvals enable up to a 265-pound increase in maximum takeoff weight and useful load and can extend the range by up to 75 nm and endurance by 40 minutes under standard conditions. The AGW is an available option for all H135s with Helionix and can be applied retroactively to all H135s so equipped.
The new SPIFR Helionix cockpit enables customers to remove the co-pilot side of the instrument panel to increase the field of view or keep it to install specific supplemental type certificate approved equipment. Airbus notes that the new SPIFR cockpit will boost H135 capabilities for missions including aerial work, utility, and law enforcement.
More than 1,400 H135s have been delivered to 300 customers in 60 countries. The fleet has amassed 5.6 million flight hours flying diverse missions, including air ambulance, law enforcement, private and business aviation, offshore wind, and military training.