Airbus Helicopters has launched the H140 helicopter to bridge what it sees as a gap in its H135 and H145 light-twin family. Unveiling the new addition to its rotorcraft lineup at Verticon on Tuesday, the European manufacturer said the H140 will deliver more efficient mission flexibility when it enters service in 2028.

Aeromedical operators Global Medical Response (GMR), ADAC Luftrettung, and ÖAMTC Flugrettung are the launch customers for the new helicopter. During separate signing ceremonies on the show’s opening day, GMR secured an agreement for 15 H140s, while ADAC and ÖAMTC inked a joint agreement with Airbus for 10 H140s, three H135s, and one H145. Air Methods and STAT MedEvac also placed orders, the former for an unspecified number of H140s, 10 H125s, and 11 H135s, and the latter for three H140s. At press time, Air Methods booked firm orders for 12 and 24 options.

The H140 will be certified under EASA CS-27/FAA FAR 27 requirements, being at the top end of the ‘small rotorcraft’ designation with a mtow of 6,985 pounds, which is 429 pounds more than the H125. Airbus said this will translate into elevated useful load and performance specifications that, although largely undisclosed for now, will include a maximum speed of 155 knots.

A key factor behind the improved performance is the new Safran Arrius 2ES engine that will deliver around 7% more power for the same fuel burn at maximum continuous power than the current Arrius 2B2 Plus turboshaft. In the cockpit, the H140 will feature the same Helionix avionics suite as its siblings.

At a pre-show media briefing in Germany, Dirk Petry, Airbus v-p and head of the H135 program, said customer input, especially from Europe’s emergency medical support (EMS) sector, has been influential in defining the helicopter. With Airbus Helicopters recently celebrating a record 2024 in terms of sales and profitability, including 445 gross orders last year, he said the time is right for the company to try to offer more value in the light-twin market segment.

“This is our new product in the range of light-twin helicopters, defined by a large cabin and the incorporation of the optimum innovations, performance and economics in terms of an attractive acquisition price, but also in low operating costs,” Petry stated. Airbus said the H140 will deliver an enlarged cabin while offering comparable direct maintenance costs to the H135 and similar costs to the larger H145.

Incorporating things learned from Airbus’ 2012 Bluecopter project, evolved T-tail elements—albeit in a different configuration, with the horizontal stabilizer mounted at the top of the tail—is expected to give the H140 increased lift in hover. The five-blade, 35-foot, 5-inch diameter rotor is similar to the H145’s while incorporating weight-saving benefits. Increased use of composites includes a larger-diameter Fenestron.

More Space Available Inside

Externally, the aerodynamically-optimized front section of the airframe, complete with bird strike-resistant windshield, also features rear clamshell doors that are almost 10 inches higher than the H135’s. These, combined with a raised tail boom, facilitate easier rear stretcher loading—an operational consideration also evident in the almost four inches wider side cabin doors.

Inside, a cabin volume of just more than 215 cu ft, excluding space for the pilot, offers a 20% increase in available space, unobstructed by center or door posts. Combined with a 4-foot, 2-inch flat ceiling and 15 inches more width than the H135, the additional real estate reflects the requirements specified by EMS operators.

Following EASA certification and service entry in 2028, FAA validation, along with commercial air transport use-case approvals, are expected to follow in 2029. Missions including offshore operations—benefitting from the larger rear window to the specifications of an escape hatch—are also expected. However, with the H135M remaining the most cost-effective value proposition for military training, Airbus is not planning to add an H140M version.

With the prototype H140 (registered as D-HEEY) having made its first flight in June 2023, around 55 hours have been conducted so far across two phases. Volker Bau, chief test pilot for Airbus Helicopters Germany, said that with harmonized controls, H135 pilots “will feel familiar and at home.”

Already flying three times a week, D-HEEY has almost completed the entire envelope expansion phase, with a hot-and-high campaign to commence this summer followed by cold-weather analysis. A second prototype aircraft will follow this year and two more in 2026.

At its helicopter final assembly line in Donauwörth, Airbus Helicopters is enacting plans to expand output rates above the current total of 150 aircraft to work the H140 into the mix alongside the H135s and H145s.