Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

Contributor

Mark Huber

Airbus Helicopters&nbsp;improved its delivery numbers and increased its mix of military business in 2016. For the year, Airbus Helicopters&nbsp;delivered 418 rotorcraft, a 5&nbsp;percent increase compared to the 395 it delivered in 2015, against a market backdrop company CEO Guillaume Faury called "the most difficult year for the helicopter industry since 2008." Global bookings for civil helicopters for all manufacturers dropped 13 percent from 2015 levels.


Airbus logged gross orders for 388 helicopters in 2016, compared to the 383 gross orders for 2015. Bookings in 2016 included orders for 188 light-single-engine helicopters, 163 H135/H145 light-twins, 23 Super Puma class, eight H175s and six in the H155/Dauphin family. Overall, order backlog stood at 766 helicopters at year's end. Airbus continues to maintain a 47percent share of the world civil market for helicopters weighing more than 1.3 metric tons.


Faury announced a variety of developments concerning new and existing programs. The new H160 medium twin is currently undergoing cold weather testing in Canada, and a third prototype will join the program early this year. Airbus will begin taking orders for the H160 this year and already has a "significant number" of letters of intent for it.


Airbus plans to fly its X3 derivative, the Clean Sky2 high-speed compound helicopter demonstrator, at the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020 and plans to reveal more details about it at this year's Paris Air Show.


Faury also said the company will conduct the first unmanned flights of its City Airbus all electric, VTOL, four-seat urban vehicle in 2018 and manned flights beginning in 2019. Development of a full-scale vehicle will start this month in Germany.


The X6 heavy helicopter, seen as an eventual replacement for the H225, remains in the concept phase, with Faury characterizing it as a "long-term investment." Faury said Airbus looks forward to "restoring trust" in the H225 following last year's fatal North Sea crash that killed 13 and prompted a temporary EASA grounding order that was lifted after a problematic planet gear was identified and an increased inspection regime imposed. Faury called the Super Puma family "outstanding" helicopters with a major role to play in the oil and gas market. "We believe that market cannot rely on a single helicopter type," he said,referring to Sikorsky's S-92A. "We are fully aware that we need to ensure a smooth return to service of that product in the North [Sea]."


“The multiple challenges faced in 2016 have increased our resolve to support our customers with an ever-increasing commitment to quality and safety, leveraging the most modern portfolio of products and services,” he said. "Despite this challenging market environment, we delivered on our operational objectives and proceeded with the execution of our transformation plan.”


Faury said highlights of 2016 included success in key military campaigns for the H225M, which was selected by Singapore and Kuwait, the latter being an order for 30 ships, as well as for the H135/H145 family, which was selected in the UK for military flight training. Last year also saw first deliveries of the new AS565 MBe Panther naval helicopter to Mexico and Indonesia and the first flight of the NH90 Sea Lion for the German Navy.


On the civil side, the first H175 medium-twin helicopter in VIP configuration entered service in 2016, while the public services variant began flight-testing ahead of certification in 2017. A Chinese consortium signed an order for 100 H135s to be assembled locally over the next 10 years. Ground-breaking of the H135 facility in China will take place in the middle of this year with deliveries from that facility beginning in 2019.


Certification of the Helionix-equipped version of the H135 was granted by EASA in November 2016, while flight-testing activities of the next-generation H160 continued at a steady pace throughout the year, paving the way for the first firm orders to be signed this year. The H160 aerodynamic configuration was frozen at the middle of last year and manufacturing will soon start on a new final assembly line designed for the aircraft "and this will change the way we manufacture helicopters," Faury said.


More than 100 H145s were delivered in 2016 and Airbus has booked more customers for the new military variant H145M. Faury believes there will be more "sales opportunities for the H145M in the short-term."


The first flight of the unmanned VSR700 naval drone, based on the Guimbal Cabri G2 piston helicopter, will take place later this year.&nbsp;

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Airbus Helicopter Deliveries Are Up in a Down Market

The company's helicopter deliveries grew 5 percent last year compared to 2015, in a challenging marketplace.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Tools can be freely downloaded for use by companies and organizations

EASA Releases Rotorcraft Noise Software and Database

Matt Thurber

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Helicopters will fly for law enforcement and emergency medical operations

Bahrain Orders Nine Airbus H145 Helicopters for Police

Operators in Argentina, the EU, India, and Japan can now install the empennage kit

Robinson Symmetrical Stabilizer Acquires New Approvals

AmyWilder

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Lithium-ion battery STC expands options for helicopter operators 

Airwolf Aerospace Gets Brazil STC for TB17 Batteries 

Jessica Reed

LifeFlight's Mount Isa-based helicopter team rescued the couple and their two dogs

Helicopter Crew Makes Rescue in Australian Outback

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

HAI Heli-Expo 2017

More In Rotorcraft

EASA Releases Rotorcraft Noise Software and Database

Tools can be freely downloaded for use by companies and organizations

Bahrain Orders Nine Airbus H145 Helicopters for Police

Helicopters will fly for law enforcement and emergency medical operations

Robinson Symmetrical Stabilizer Acquires New Approvals

Operators in Argentina, the EU, India, and Japan can now install the empennage kit

Airwolf Aerospace Gets Brazil STC for TB17 Batteries

Lithium-ion battery STC expands options for helicopter operators

Helicopter Crew Makes Rescue in Australian Outback

LifeFlight's Mount Isa-based helicopter team rescued the couple and their two dogs

Vita Rescue System Hoist Is Qualified by U.S. Army

Testing was also conducted by the Air Force

Subaru Bell 412EPX Certified by EASA

European operators can now fly the helicopter in EU countries

FAA Revises Human External Cargo Fall Protection Policy

ANSI standards will impose a more uniform framework

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN