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on the Airbus Helicopters H135
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The H135 is a light utility twin engine helicopter now produced by Airbus Helicopters. It is capable of IFR flight and is outfitted with a digital automatic flight control system.
Development started with the Bo 108 in the 1970s, prior to the formation of Eurocopter under Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm, in partnership with Aérospatiale. The Bo 108 was initially intended as a technology demonstrator, with FADEC, a hingeless main rotor, a new transmission and an aerodynamically streamlined design.
The first prototype made its first flight on 17 October, 1988 powered by two Allison 250-C20R/1 engines. A second followed on 5 June, 1991, this time with two Turbomeca TM319-1B Arrius engines. Both technology demonstrators flew with conventional tail rotors.
In the late 1990s, the Fenestron tail rotor system was added along with an advanced rigid main rotor, composite materials and resonance isolation systems. The company pursued a full certification programme, resulting in the production of two prototypes and, at the same time, a new designation of EC135 under Eurocopter.
It was then decided to offer the choice of Turbomeca Arrius 2B or P&WC PW206B engines. Two prototypes were built in 1994 powered by either engine, and both were used on subsequent production aircraft; the choice of engine giving either a T or a P in the variant name.
In January 1995, the EC135 made its first public appearance at the Heli-Expo convention at Las Vegas. European JAA certification was achieved on 16 June, 1996 with FAA approval following on 31 July.
On 2 December, 1999 the EC135 was granted single-pilot IFR certification by Germany's LBA, followed by the UK’s CAA in December 2000. The first two production aircraft appeared on 31 July, 1996.
2002 saw the first flight of the EC135 active control technology demonstrator/flying helicopter simulator (ACT/FHS), a research aircraft designed to test fibre optic-based flight control systems.
EC135s were able to be assembled in Romania from November 2003, with other agreements for assembly lines in Spain and Switzerland. In 2011, Eurocopter formalised a license manufacturing agreement with Zhong-Ou International Group to produce a luxury EC135 version in Zhejiang Province, China, and in October 2015 Airbus Helicopters agreed to allow Ecopark to establish a final assembly line in Qingdao Province.
The aircraft was redesignated H135 on 3 March, 2015.
In January 2016, it was announced that the Ural Works of Civil Aviation, a division of Rostec, was to build the H135 under licence at its facility in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Production was scheduled to begin in 2017 following receipt of Russian type certification.
In December 2020, EASA certified a new Alternate Gross Weight (AGW), that increased the maximum take off weight to 265 lb. This modification can also be used to increase range by up to 75 nm or endurance by up to 40 minutes under standard conditions.
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| World fleet | Charter fleet | Typical pax | Cabin volume | Cruise | Range | Years | |
| Eurocopter EC135T1 | ●● | ●● | ● | ●●●●●●●●● | ●●●●●●● | ●●●●●● | ●●●●●●●●●● |
| Eurocopter EC135P1 | ●● | ●● | ● | ●●●●●●●●● | ●●●●●●● | ●●●●●● | ●●●●●●●●●● |
| Eurocopter EC135P2 | ●●● | ●● | ● | ●●●●●●●●● | ●●●●●●● | ●●●●●● | ●●●●●●●●●● |
| Eurocopter EC135T2 | ●●● | ●● | ● | ●●●●●●●●● | ●●●●●●● | ●●●●●● | ●●●●●●●●●● |
| Eurocopter EC135T2i | ●●● | ●● | ● | ●●●●●●●●● | ●●●●●●● | ●●●●●● | ●●●●●●●●●● |
| Eurocopter EC135P2i | ●●● | ●● | ● | ●●●●●●●●● | ●●●●●●● | ●●●●●● | ●●●●●●●●●● |
| Airbus Helicopters H135T3/P3 | ●●● | ●● | ● | ●●●●●●●●● | ●●●●●●● | ●●●●●● | ●●●●●●●●●● |
| October 31, 2022 | First two H135s arrive with Spanish Ministry |
| October 30, 2022 | Orders affirm Airbus lead in air medical helicopter market |
| October 21, 2022 | Mississippi takes delivery of tech-enhanced EC135T2+ |
| October 17, 2022 | Thames Valley Air Ambulance unveils new helicopter |
| October 8, 2022 | Mainichi takes fourth H135 for news gathering in Japan |
| July 21, 2022 | London Air Ambulance packs two H135s into fleet renewal programme |
| July 4, 2022 | FAA certifies Onboard HEC replacement kit for EC135s |
| June 11, 2022 | entrol update shows renewal of trust by Spanish Police |
| March 24, 2022 | H135 additions bolster North Memorial Health fleet |
| March 18, 2022 | ITC delivers H135-T3H to European operator |
| March 14, 2022 | Pathfinder adopts Foresight MX fleet-wide |
| March 14, 2022 | STAT MedEvac orders 10 new H135s |
| March 7, 2022 | Airlift Northwest to open eastern Washington base |
| March 4, 2022 | EASA and FAA approve VIH left hand bubble |
| January 31, 2022 | First F-Light Line H135 Helionix training device qualified at RotorSky |
| January 4, 2022 | Spain's government signs for 18 H135s |
| November 24, 2021 | Airbus underscores HCare commitment to trio |
| November 24, 2021 | ÖAMTC puts the SAF in Safran |
| November 18, 2021 | Bio-kerosene to fuel ADAC’s air rescue flights |
| November 8, 2021 | Metro lends weight to Foresight MX STC for H135 |
| October 8, 2021 | More Airbus helicopters on their way to Global Medical Response |
| June 24, 2021 | Aviator surpasses 2,600 hours on Helionix H135 |
| June 23, 2021 | Metro helps critical care company provide superior service |
| June 23, 2021 | ÖAMTC and RotorSky team up for training in Austria |
| June 21, 2021 | Entrol H11 MCC simulator deemed to be world class |
| June 21, 2021 | Germany qualifies Reiser H135 FFS to highest standard |
| June 10, 2021 | Gorka given the distinction of distributor by Airbus |
| June 10, 2021 | Private client first in Russia to deploy Helionix H135 |
| May 31, 2021 | Dallas Airmotive's Price CAP Promise wins favour |
| May 21, 2021 | EC135T2+ to provide EHC students with next level training |
| April 19, 2021 | Surf Life Saving Queensland opts for EC135P2+ |
| March 9, 2021 | Diamond Sky extends its reach across Europe |
| March 1, 2021 | Tokyo customer opts for Frasca EC135 FTD |
| February 22, 2021 | Airbus Helicopters ties up deal with TAI |
| February 15, 2021 | Air Methods inks substantial HCare agreement |
| February 15, 2021 | Safety Flight opts for Entrol H135 simulator |
| January 25, 2021 | Airbus selects Garmin for on-time award |
| January 15, 2021 | Bucher Leichtbau AC67 flex system gain EASA tick |
| December 28, 2020 | EASA-approved H135 gains 120 kg of useful load |
| December 27, 2020 | ÖAMTC Air Rescue puts pen to paper for H135s |
| December 21, 2020 | Ten years at the top for New Jersey's Cooper |
| November 16, 2020 | Thora arranges leaseback for EC135 EMS trio |
| November 9, 2020 | Mont Blanc takes delivery of H135 number 1,400 |
| October 25, 2020 | NCCH simulator demonstrates high level of competence |
| October 18, 2020 | Collier receives H135 for golden hour transportation |
| October 6, 2020 | NASA over the moon with pair of H135s |
| October 3, 2020 | WellFlight to offer medevac across state lines |
| September 21, 2020 | NASA launches into Airbus HCare support solution |
| September 5, 2020 | LAT and DRF send H145 sim into service |
| September 1, 2020 | Netherlands certifies Entrol H135 sim |
| August 17, 2020 | ACHI brings SpaceX astronauts back to base |
| August 16, 2020 | DRF handed further five-year Bavarian contract |
| August 10, 2020 | Heliseven selects easily-upgradable EC135 sim |
| June 26, 2020 | Japanese police take on further Airbus helicopter types |
| June 15, 2020 | EASA gives ESG the nod for modem and antennas |
| June 1, 2020 | DRF works to develop stretcher with Bucher Leichtbau |
| May 22, 2020 | Dutch flight school HeliCentre adds Entrol sim |
| May 22, 2020 | BladeSense seeks to extend rotor blade research |
| May 17, 2020 | Helionix H135 passes muster in Canada |
| May 12, 2020 | Martin-5 comes to the rescue in Lower Austria |
| April 11, 2020 | SCAA doubles capacity with Babcock-flown EC135 |
| April 3, 2020 | UT Health fleet in rude health with EC135 addition |
| March 12, 2020 | Garmin receives On-Time Delivery award from Airbus |
| March 9, 2020 | SCAA delighted with spruced-up EC135 |
| February 23, 2020 | Flight data monitoring is focus of Gama modification |
| February 11, 2020 | Entrol H135 simulator obtains FTD Level 5 |
| February 5, 2020 | Airbus enhances capabilities of H125 and H135 |
| February 2, 2020 | NASA launches into relationship with Airbus Helicopters |
| January 30, 2020 | DRF signs hefty order for 38 rotorcraft and retrofits |
| December 17, 2019 | LAT and DRF prepare for Frankfurt sim training launch |
| November 16, 2019 | PAG delivers performance to Airbus Helicopters |
| October 21, 2019 | Hawaii Life Flight renews air medical partnership |
| September 23, 2019 | Romania retains winning formula with three more H135s |
| September 9, 2019 | Scottish patients to benefit from emergency air ambulance |
| August 20, 2019 | South American customers opt for ACH line |
| June 18, 2019 | Nakanihon Air Service takes delivery of 20th H135 |
| June 11, 2019 | UW Health and Metro combine for Wisconsin HEMS work |
| April 23, 2019 | Airbus opens first foreign helicopter line in China |
| March 19, 2019 | NPAS selects Airbus for fleet support |
| March 12, 2019 | AMGH swells sizeable fleet with more Airbus models |
| March 11, 2019 | FlightSafety and Metro hail long-term partnership |
| February 11, 2019 | ÖAMTC and HeliAir bring H135 up to speed |
| December 28, 2018 | Medical H135 delivered to DHART and UVM |
| December 28, 2018 | ÖAMTC seeks to improve rotary autopilot alongside Thales |
| December 4, 2018 | Entrol sells first H135 FTD Level 5 simulator in US |
| November 13, 2018 | NPAS receives first H135 enhanced for night missions |
| October 23, 2018 | CIOPAER adds two Helionix H135s to enhance state security |
| October 23, 2018 | ANWB expects up to six H135s for nationwide HEMS |
| October 16, 2018 | HeliGroup first in region to operate Helionix H135 |
| October 13, 2018 | Lider Aviacao diversifies fleet with two sturdy H135s |
| October 4, 2018 | Red Arrows assist HeliGroup ACH135 delivery |
| October 2, 2018 | Qingdao brings first of 100 H135s into service |
| September 25, 2018 | Powerline fleet gains widescreen video |
| August 30, 2018 | Ambulance crew responds to milestone callout |
| July 11, 2018 | RUAG extends Russian approvals and overhauls PW206 |
| June 12, 2018 | ALT opens Waypoint account with training H135 |
| April 5, 2018 | Babcock works to keep electricity fleet current |
| November 2, 2017 | HTM signs engines up to management programme |
| November 1, 2017 | Babcock becomes launch customer for Safran engine health initiative |
| September 28, 2017 | Entrol H135 T2+ FTD level 2 sim receives certification |
| September 15, 2017 | NOLAS adds Norway's first civil Helionix H135 |
| August 3, 2016 | Wales leads the way for UK air ambulance with fourth rotorcraft |
| April 4, 2016 | DRF signs Waypoint leaseback deal |
| March 9, 2016 | HUG selects RUAG for EC135 modernisation |
| January 7, 2016 | LPR carries out further HEMS fleet expansion |
| November 18, 2015 | PDG signs for second H135 and PBH for lighthouse support |
| November 18, 2015 | First of seven upgraded EC135 T2+ returns to NPAS for enhanced policing |
| November 9, 2015 | Waypoint to acquire 20 H135s |
| October 15, 2015 | Thames Valley EMS puts UK's first H135 to work |
| August 13, 2015 | Starspeed utilises Kemble as latest charter base |
| August 5, 2015 | HTM takes on premier H135 for German windfarms |
| July 7, 2015 | Norsk selects Turbomeca to power H135 trio |
| July 7, 2015 | Bavarian Police enters retrofitted H135s in service |
| May 13, 2015 | Nova invests in UK-based H135 |
| April 7, 2015 | Norsk Luftambulanse orders three H135s for medical airlift |
| February 12, 2015 | Aiut Alpin boosts ski services with second EC135 |
| February 12, 2015 | Long distance offshore hoists prompt Uni-Fly to choose EC135T2i |
| December 3, 2014 | EC135 P2e purchase to swell WPD fleet to five |
| November 6, 2014 | Bond Air expects latest T3s to save even more lives |
| November 6, 2014 | Bond to fly factory-new EC135 for Great Western |
| September 10, 2014 | PDG set to light up the UK and Irish coast with EC135s |
| June 9, 2014 | ME & MY AIRCRAFT–Twin helicopters: Twins can be costly, yet their capability in EMEA rarely disappoints |
| May 7, 2014 | Safety in numbers as THK takes another EC135 for EMS |
| April 3, 2014 | Sturdy Squirrels and versatile EC135s strengthen DGT's fleet |
| November 7, 2013 | Inaer France wins regional SAMU contract |
| September 12, 2013 | Devon Air Ambulance doubles capability with specially configured EC135 |
| September 12, 2013 | NPAS looks to standardise fleet by reducing weight of mixed EC135Ts |
| August 12, 2013 | Bond signs up to seven-year ambulance deal |
| August 12, 2013 | Inaer forms Spain's first all-female medical helicopter crew |
| May 13, 2013 | THK commits to the EC135 for Turkey's EMS coverage |
| February 11, 2013 | Bond marks air ambulance 10,000 hours milestone |
| October 15, 2012 | Yellow angels stay faithful to Eurocopter |
| July 9, 2012 | SAF Hélicoptères EC135s feed data to first in-house simulator |
| June 11, 2012 | Me & my aircraft: Lower maintenance and greater payload are top of twin helicopter operators' wish lists |
| September 1, 2011 | Dunkirk port selects EC135 for sea pilot hoisting |
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