One of the big stories of the 2018 Heli-Expo show is Airbus’s new H160 medium-twin helicopter, which is making its U.S. debut. Prototype number two is on display at the show in Las Vegas before embarking on a three-month customer demonstration tour followed by high/hot testing in Leadville, Colorado. Airbus is aiming for certification next year.
The aircraft features an all-composite airframe, flat-floor cabin, oversize cabin windows, and a baggage compartment that can hold 661 pounds. Its cabin can be configured to seat four or eight passengers in executive/VIP layouts, or 12 in a utility configuration. The H160 also incorporates a variety of new technologies, among them Blue Edge active tracking main rotor blades in a five-blade system with a double sweep design that reduces noise and contributes to a smoother ride, and 10 to 15 percent better fuel consumption than the H155 family it replaces.