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EC225: Destination China

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Apr 242015

End of 2013, Airbus Helicopters delivered a H225 (formerly EC225) to the Chinese company COHC. The following movies tell the adventure.

Temporarily designated F-WWOA, later B-7151, the french helicopter was conveyed to China by Jean-Charles (pilot), Gérard (pilot) and Marc (mechanic) via Greece, Oman and India.

Spoiler: the flight ends well. At 11:00 a.m. on November 20, an EC225 LP helicopter of China’s CITIC Offshore Helicopter Company (COHC), registration number B-7151, arrived at Shenzhen Nantou Helicopter Airport from Macau, which is the 3rd EC225 introduced by COHC this year.

All pictures are extract from the movies, copyright Airbus Helicopters

Part 1: From Marignane to Greece and Crete

Marignane-Iraklion, EC225 Airbus Helicopters

They took off November 6th in the early morning, LFML (Marseille, France), good weather. Cruise ground speed: 166 kt, slightly more than 300 km/h.
In this part, you will enjoy views of the Mediterranean coast, how you prepare the mooring of the aircraft for the night, and what internal auxiliary fuel tanks look like.

When you buy a helicopter, you can generally have 3 possibilities to get it delivered:

by plane, usually an Antonov 124, which is quick and the helicopter arrives almost ready to fly, but expensive
by ship, much cheaper than by plane, but very long
by conveying, where the helicopter flies from the manufacturing plant in Marignane to the location of the customer

Part 2: From Crete to Oman

Landing in Riyadh, EC225 by night

After-flight inspection by night, EC225

Via Egypt and Saudi Arabia, you will discover the maritime arabian oil fields, how to park in a tight spot, and the importance of the last inspection of the aircraft at the end of the day.

Part 3: From Oman to India

When your aircraft spends the night alone without any surveillance, you want to make sure that nobody entered your aircraft.

With the weather radar in search mode, you will see not only the coast, but also ships and other obstacles.

Muscat to Ahmedabad

radar in search mode, EC225

Ahmedabad to Kolkata

EC225 after 7 hours flight

After the flight, you need to refuel, organize the electric power generator for the night, check in at the customs, find your hotel!

here is the power generator - India is exotic! ;)

here comes the power generator – India is exotic! 😉

preparing for take-off in Kolkata

Next in Burma!

cockpit view of EC145 T2

Airbus Helicopters, Eurocopter, helicopter market, photos, technology No Responses »

Apr 252014

Airbus Helicopters certified its EC145 T2 recently. The new aircraft is based on the famous EC145 aka BK117 C2.

Both designations EC145 T2 and BK117 D2 refer to the same aircraft.

Enhancements incorporated in the T2 version of the 4-metric-ton category EC145 include new Arriel 2E engines and the company’s signature Fenestron® shrouded tail rotor, along with upgraded main and new tail rotor gear boxes, and an advanced cockpit that uses Airbus Helicopter’s innovative Helionix digital avionics suite with 4-axis autopilot.

EC145 T2 cockpit with Helionix avionics system

EC145 T2 D-HADW during demo tour in Asia

More photos available at airbushelicopters.com

[photos] Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3

Airbus Helicopters, Eurocopter, photos No Responses »

Jan 292014

AS350B3 Heliconia CN-HBC over the desert

AS350 B3 and the bike dazzling in the desert sun (C) Anthony PECCHI

AS350B3 Heliconia CN-HBC over the desert (C) Anthony PECCHI

Video AS350B3 Heliconia CN-HBC over the desert (C) Anthony PECCHI

Pictures courtesy of Airbus Helicopters

how to speed up the X3

Eurocopter, experience, prototype, USA No Responses »

Dec 032013

X3 cockpit, Eurocopter high speed prototype

This article refers to the great report by Ernie Stephens in Aviation Today

How to speed up when you’re in the X3? …easy: push the button!

X3 cockpit, Eurocopter high speed prototype

Which one? On the picture above, there is only a thrust control lever. As Ernie explains:

In the X3, the TCL on the center console isn’t touched. Forward thrust is applied by thumbing a small, momentary-contact, hat switch mounted on the collective. Push it forward to increase the power, tap it backwards to decrease it. The TCL moves forward and back as the hat switch is actuated, but is only manipulated by hand as an emergency procedure if the hat switch fails.

The TCL, the handle located on the centre console, is actually not used during the flight. It is only here as a backup.

Thrust Control Lever, on the central control panel in the Eurocopter X3 cockpit

Now, look at the collective below and find the hat switch.

hat switch on the collective used to increase translational speed in the Eurocopter X3 prototype high speed helicopter

“Are you ready to go flying?” asked Jammayrac. “Yes, sir,” I replied. “All you have to do is push the throttle switch forward,” he instructed. “Don’t do anything else.” And that was when the X3 stopped being a helicopter and became a King Air!

Regardless of whether I “beeped” the throttle hat switch on the collective or held it forward, I could feel the power come in.

source:
http://www.aviationtoday.com/the-checklist/Pilot-Report-The-Exciting-Experimental-Exceptional&thinspX3_76928.html#.Up4dtsTuKT0

More photos:
http://www.blueskyrotor.com/performance/datasheet/Airbus__Helicopters/X3-X3

Zwartkop South African Air Force Base museum monthly meeting

Eurocopter, experience, photos, South Africa No Responses »

Oct 302013

Once every month, the South African Air Force museum in Zwartkop, Gauteng, flies its helicopters. This small air show is opened to the public, but only few people actually come. Unlike major crowded meetings, this makes the event very nice to attend.

What would you see there?

Helicopters, of course, and other aircraft, such as the Harvard. The helicopters are military, with the corresponding colour and markings. Consequently, it is not so easy to distinguish them from the landscape. Photographers would complain that the subject does not really stand out.

Alouette II landing on parking in front of the South African Air Force museum, Swartkop, Gauteng

Alouette III after flight inspection with a pilot getting pretty

Alouette III in approach

Alouette III in flight

Alouette III on ground

Alouette III landing

Alouette III landing on taxiway

Alouette III landing

Alouette III landing on taxi

Alouette III parking

Alouette III parking and taxi

Red Alouette III passing by

Red Alouette III approaching

Alouette III parked on the shadow

Alouette III showing off

Atlas C4M Kudu ZU-CWZ

Harvard on low pass

2 Harvard in formation

3 Harvard in formation

Harvard formation approach

Harvard on parking

Harvard taxiing

Harvard tour

Sunglasses reflection

Zwartkop South African Air Force Base, Alouette II and Alouette III

Yet another Lakota video

Eurocopter, helicopter market, USA, videos No Responses »

Oct 302013

FAGC – Grand central airport, South Africa

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Sep 222013

EC130 mercy helicopter at FAGC airport, Gauteng province, South Africa

Today was a cold spring day at Grand Central airport, in Gauteng province, South Africa. Strong crosswinds let only a few helicopters take-off.

Bell 407 and R44 at FAGC airport, Gauteng province, South Africa

Bell 407 at FAGC airport, Gauteng province, South Africa

EC130 mercy helicopter at FAGC airport, Gauteng province, South Africa

R44 at FAGC airport, Gauteng province, South Africa

Bell 407 and R44 at FAGC airport, Gauteng province, South Africa

X3: just another speed record

Eurocopter, France, prototype, technology No Responses »

Jun 212013

Eurocopter X3 broke a world speed record with 255 kt in level flight (@10,000 ft), 5 kt more than the Sikorsky X2.

For the second time in its existence, this very same fuselage was made famous: the first event happened 22 years ago, when the Dauphin DGV became a world fastest helicopter with 372 km/h.

2013, June 7th D-Day

Catch it if you can: teaser

Catch it if you can: Eurocopter people sharing their experience

When the X3 met the TGV, French high speed train

Eurocopter: new X3

Eurocopter, France, Germany, helicopter market, prototype, technology No Responses »

Apr 262013

X3 seen from behind, optimised for high speed

Should we call it X3e, like all the current new models at Eurocopter? Or X3i? Or X3+? Or X3²?

Yesterday, Eurocopter presented a new concept, a helicopter where the pilot is only an option. The EC145 c/n 9001 is the usual research aircraft of the company, known recently for the “Blue Pulse” program, intended to reduce the rotor noise.

EC145 OPV F-ZWAM, Istres, France, Eurocopter

However, not only the new drone was presented. A small surprise was displayed at the end of the movie. You thought the X3 was there only by chance? Of course not!

The Istres Air Base is the most suitable flight testing area in France. All previous test flights of X3 were made there and even the main runway was adapted to land the American space shuttles.

A closer look onto the prototype makes it clear: the rotor head and the top of the airframe have been modified.

X3 seen from behind, optimised for high speed

X3 seen from behind, Paris Air Show 2011

Yes, the aircraft is being prepared for very high speeds. Eurocopter’s X3 is becoming a fierce competitor to Sikorsky’s X2. Mr Bertling is preparing to leave his seat as a CEO to Mr Faury next week and this challenge is indeed a great gift: the company displays its innovative skills.

X3 and EC145 OPV on ground -“the best is yet to come”

Do you remember the DGV, Dauphin Grande Vitesse, which became once the fastest helicopter with 372 km/h in 1991? The aircraft never forgot its appetite for the records. In fact, some parts of the Dauphin DGV were removed and the helicopter was modified to build the X3.

Aerospatiale Dauphin DGV, speed record breaker in 1991

Now, for the pleasure of your eyes, enjoy these pictures from the movie.

EC145 OPV during accuracy freight landing

EC145 cockpit, Optionnally Piloted Vehicle

EC145 OPV during freight flight

EC145 OPV and X3 in Istres