Professional Pilot, October 2018

The helicopter industry back on track W hen almost every corner of the aviation industry was hit hard by the 2008 Great Recession the helicopter segment was spared Orders and deliveries dipped but didnt see the drastic downturn that other sectors experienced However the reprieve was short lived Fresh off the drop of oil prices in 2008 followed by their recovery over the following few years the next downswing of crude pricing in 2014 was the crippling blow Oil and gas exploration all but ceased and the ripple effects paralyzed the entire rotor wing market New product announcements evaporated and existing development programs were delayed or canceled in droves Those were dire times If nothing else the last 4 years have proven the resiliency of the vertical lift market While at the time 2014 may have seemed to be its death knell 2018 has shown that there is still a heartbeat and its getting stronger by the year Here is a recap of the major manufacturers and the progress theyve made along with their current offerings and upcoming products Airbus Helicopters Just as the downturn hit its low point in 2014 the French Eurocopter Group became Airbus Helicopter to more define the roles of the manufacturer within the Airbus Group The corporate name change also followed through 50 PROFESSIONAL PILOT October 2018 to the models they produce with each taking on an H to signify them as Helicopters and to differentiate from A for Airplane models within the company lineup Airbus continues to reign over the industry with a 50 share in the civilian market providing 2 single engine and 8 twin engine rotorcraft along with numerous variants of each covering the gamut of light to heavy lift models From the law enforcement and electronic news gathering favorite H125 and the emergency medical services preferred H135 145 to the oil and gas workhorse H225 Airbus helicopters can be found in every corner of the globe Times may have been difficult over the past decade but Airbus did not sit idly by While they may not have invented the Fenestron tail rotor its roots date well back into their history and its reputation for safety and quietness has seen it added to more models as well as being adapted to new aircraft As the first new member of the H generation the H160 medium twin was unveiled in 2015 with deliveries expected in 2019 It brings together VSTOL INNOVATIONS New ideas to serve new markets are bringing increased prosperity to the vertical lift market By Brent Bundy Phoenix Police Officer Pilot AS350 AW119 Cessna 210 182 172 a host of progressive technologies including unique swept tip Blue Edge main rotor blades an all composite airframe and a canted version of the Fenestron In the cockpit it will arrive standard with the new Helionix nextgen multi screen avionics suite first seen in the H145 and H175 and now available in the H135 2018 saw the delivery of the first Airbus Corporate Helicopter ACH line as they make further inroads into the luxury market Perhaps the most ambitious Airbus project is the futuristic Racer Rapid And Cost Efficient Rotorcraft As part of the European Clean Sky 2 research program this twin engine aircraft is a hybrid of helicopter and airplane propulsion utilizing a 5 blade main rotor for vertical lift and 2 propellers in pusher configuration for much greater speed than conventional helicopters Developed from the high speed X3 demonstrator it also takes advantage of several aerodynamic advancements reduced fuel consumption and a quieter footprint And with fixed forward propulsion there is no transitional period from hover to cruise Airbus H160 Airbus H145 Airbus UH 72 Lakota Airbus Racer Photos courtesy Airbus Helicopters