Airbus Helicopters (Booth 7750) is grafting several improvements onto its line of single-engine helicopters.
BLR Aerospace’s (Booth 8653) H125 FastFin System is now available for the H125 with the Arriel 2D engine power upgrade that Airbus Helicopter certified in October. The FastFin System, combined with the additional engine power, will boost useful load by up to 485 pounds and the OGE hover ceiling mtow by 2,750 feet, to 13,900 feet.
According to BLR, the company is working toward EASA and other validations of the system. “Once again, Airbus Helicopters has increased the capability of one of its helicopter platforms,” said BLR Aerospace president Mike Carpenter, adding that the collaboration with Airbus will make the upgraded helicopter “even better."
New this year is a revised H130 instrument panel featuring the Garmin G500H TXi touchscreen display, as well as optional lightweight data recorders for the H125 and the H130 at the end of 2022 and 2023, respectively. The Airbus wireless Airborne Communications System (aWACS) is also being provided by Astronautics.
The system allows automatic retrieval of flight, mission, and maintenance data via 4G Wi-Fi connection and provides access to Airbus's FlyScan predictive maintenance and FlightAnalyser flight data monitoring. Financial incentives of $15,000 per installation of crash-resistant fuel systems have been extended when performed by an approved service center.
On the training front, Airbus and VRM Switzerland have collaborated on a small, easily transportable virtual reality headset simulator.