TMB16 – Info Aéro Québec

TMB16 – Airbus Helicopter HForce and the H145M.

Philippe Cauchi — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 04:56:08 +0000

DONAUWÖRTH – Christian Francini, Airbus Helicopters, Senior Operational Marketing Officer introduced the HForce weapon system from Airbus Helicopters as well as the H145M at Airbus Helicopter Deutschland in Donauwörth in Northern Swabia, some 120km Northwest of Munich.

HForce is a generic weapon system developped by Airbus Helicopters that can be fitted onto any military versions of Airbus Helicopters commercial helicopter range. The approach is the militarization of very popular helicopter. As mentinned, Mr. Francini three models has been selected until now : the light single engine Armed Scout H125M, the light twin engine Light Attack & Utility H145M and the heavy twin engine Utility H225M.

Airbus Helicopters H125M, H145M, H225M.
Photo: Airbus Industrie.

Each model features Monocular Thales Scorpion Helmet Mounted Sight and Display

(HMSD), Wescam NX-15 electro-optical system (EOS), armament pylons, ballistic and guided weapons and air to ground and air to air munitions.

The goal of Airbus Helicopter with HForce is to offer defence agencies which are already equipped with attack heliocopter a means of complement their fleet but also to customers in the early stage of military outfitting, an incremental system featuring realistic options addressimg a wide range of practical needs.

According to Mr. Franchini, the ide ais to integrate a full package of weapons from ballistic to guided weapons at a very affordable price compare to a pure attack helicopter in a incremental way by starting from what exists and works.

HForce is based on 50 years of Airbus Helicopters weapons integration.

The HForce programm has been launched in April 2014.

The first test bench entered into service in May 2015 while the first flight was performed in December 2015 on a H225M.

It has been unveiled to the press in Marignane, in southern France on February, the 22nd, 2016. The firing campaign started recently in Belgium while it is expected that the system will be qualified at the end of 2017.

Drawing on experience with the Tiger attack helicopter, Airbus Helicopters has developed an off-the-shelf solution to address customers’ armament needs. Conceived as a plug ’n play system, HForce’s core hardware is interchangeable from one helicopter to another. Software is specific to each helicopter, as are fixtures for the weapon pods. Armament can be exchanged between helicopters.

This innovative system integrates any kind of weapon (air-to-air, air-to-ground, ballistic or guided) onto any kind of commercial helicopter in the Airbus Helicopters military range. The technically-advanced solution takes into account the different aspects of firing accuracy: weapon recoil, center of gravity, ground clearance or vehicle separation.

HForce covers the entire operational spectrum:

Air-to-ground :

Tanks, armoured vehicles, troops, fire support to troops in contact

Air-to-air :

Aircraft, drones, attack helicopters

Air-to-surface :

Maritime counter terrorism and counter piracy speedboats

As underlined by M. Francini, addressing today’s requirements for counter-terrorism and special forces deployment, HForce adapts helicopters for a wide array of missions.
Armed scout :

Intelligence

Surveillance

Target acquisition

Reconnaissance

Attack :

Deep ops (depending on type of helicopter)

Fire support

Attack & defence

Escort

Utility :

Maritime counter terrorism

Air movement

Combat recovery

CASEVAC

Fire support
Maritime security:

Maritime counter terrorism
Parapublic:

Law enforcement

HForce enables a drastic reduction of workload thanks to experience gained from crew resource management on Tiger helicopters. With the HForce system in place, the crew manage the helicopter’s weapons firing throught the EOS day and night while the pilot flies, exactly like in an attack helicopter. ‘the pilot flies, the gunner fights’

Mr. Franchini concluded his formal presentaiton by recalling that HForce has been developped around three priorities :

Customer satisfaction by proposing a realistic solution covering the full spectrum of flight missions at a cost effective price.

Competitiveness by offering a modular and incremental weapon system, the HForce is an unique solution on the military market

Quality and safety by offering an entire weapons systems developped, integrated and fully qualified by Airbus Helicopters drastically reducing the crew workload.

Airbus Helicopter H145M.
Photo: Philippe Cauchi.

Moving from a conference room to a delivery hangar, Mr. Francini introduced us an actual H145M.

He pointed out that the H145M based on the BK117-D2m, a sub type to the EC145T2/BK117D-2, is reconfigurable for three types of missions :

Utility, Special Operations, Medevac, Search and Rescue :

Equipped with troop seats

Fast rope beams

Stretchers, Rescue hoist

Ballistic protection

Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Fitted with Electro-Optical System

Data recorder

Video Download

Integrated COM/NAV System

Armes Scout (ISTAR)/Light Attack

Equipped with Armament Control Sytem

Helmet Mounted Sight

Pylons with armament

The H145M received its EASA certification last May and the first two has been delivered in December 2015 to the Bundeswehr.

As mentionned by Christin Francini, ‘It is really a plug and play helicopter that can be reconfigured in two hours by two technicians’.

The weapons system is the HForce developped by Airbus Helicopter which include easy to install and to mix according to the mission, ballistic and guided ammunitions.

To manage the HForce weapon system, Airbus Helicopters has selected a mission computer supplied by Rockwell Collins. Nevertheless as underlined by Mr. Francini, the sofware is made by Airbus Helicopter so ‘it is very important we are free to upgrade the system’.

Airbus Helicopter H145M.
Photo: Philippe Cauchi.

The H145M takes advantage of the development of the civilian version the H145. The Turbomeca Arriel 1E2 of 738shp of the H145 has been replaced by the more powerful Arriel 2E of 77shp equipped with a dual FADEC allowing to perform quicker starting procedures and reducing the crew load.

It has a fast cruise speed of 131kts or 244km/h, a maximum speed of 135kts or 250km/h, a maximum range of 357NM or 662km and n opertional ceiling of 8 858ft or 2 700m.

Compare to the UH-72A Lakota, the engine power of the H145M has been increased by 21%. On single engine operation, the power has been increased by 39%. In fact, the H145M is the more powerful light twin engine helicopter.

The H145M is offering multi-purpose pylon fixed provisions for axial weapons as well as a Wescam NX15 EOS and a wide range of payload to accomdate customers needs and also ITAR requirements :

Ballistic:

Nexter?20mm cannon

FN Herstal 12,7mm machine gun

68 and 70mm rockets
Guided:

Laser-guided rocket

Air-to-ground missile

Air-to-air missile

Unlike most helicopter in its category, the H145M can carry a commando team while retaining its weapons.

Airbus Helicopter H145M.
Photo: Philippe Cauchi.

In spite of the external weapons stations, the access to its cabin is easy thanks to wide sliding doors. The cabin can be equipped with benches as well as stretchers.

Airbus Helicopter H145M.
Photo: Philippe Cauchi.

The unique clamshell access doors in the back makes easy the loading or unloading of the helicopter which is very appreciated for medivac missions as well as for special missions operations.

The fenestron is participating in reducing the noise and increasing the safety of the crew because in case of hitting an obstacle the blades are protected.

By integrating for example the Fenestron, the direct cost of operations has been decreased by more than 10% compared to the Lakota while the time between engine inspections has been raised from 300 to 400 hours. Commonality between Lakota and H145M is about 70 to 75%.

H145M maximum take-off weight (MTOW) is 3,7tons, 115kg more than the Lakota.

The stabilizer has been slightly modified compare to the one on the Lakota. It has been extended by ten centimeters eliminating the need for vertical winglets. The tailboom is made of composite unlike to save weight and reduce maintenance being corrosion free.

It is also featuring self sealing fuel tanks, hardened windshield, CMC Esterline CMA9000 Flight Management System and integrated COM/NAV systems.

The 15 H145M has been ordered by the German Special Forces, 5 by the Royal Thai Navy and 5 by the Royal Thai Army.

Christin Francini concluded by saying that ‘the market is huge for the H145M because on one hand you have Apache, Tiger and Mangusta, they are expensive very and dedicated only to one type of missions and on the other hand, a lot of countries are looking for a multirole capable of being reconfigured very quickly.

TMB16 – Airbus Helicopter Deutschland in Donauwörth.

Philippe Cauchi — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 20:46:49 +0000

DONAUWÖRTH – With its 22 900 employees, Airbus Helicopter has a turnover of 6,8 billions Euros in 2015. With 29 customers service ceters, it is serving 3010 operators in 152 countries.

Airbus Helicopters develops, sells and maintin the world’s most comprehensive range of helicopters, reaching from the single-engine lightweight class and twin-engine light and middleweight machines to transport helicopters of the 11-yon-class.

Airbus Helicopter facilities in Donauworth.
Photo: Philippe Cauchi.

With a market share of 45 per cent on the civil and parapublic market, Airbus Helicopters is number one in front of Bell Helicopter (19,5%) and Leonardo Helicopters, formerly known as Finmeccanica Helicopters and AgustaWestland (18,5%), and with a market of 9 percent on the military, Airbus Helicopter ranks four behind Sikorsky (22%), Russian Helicopters (19,5%) and Boeing (13,5%).

Airbus Helicopter facilities in Donauworth.
Photo: Philippe Cauchi.

Its sales are divided equally between military and civil markets. Support and services represent 47% of its income and exports, 70% of Airbus Helicopters sales.

Airbus Helicopters H145.
Photo: Airbus Helicopter.

Airbus Helicopters H135.
Photo: Airbus Helicopter.

Airbus Helicopter line of civilian helicopters is made of :

Single engine : H120, H125 and H130

Light Twin : AS355, H135, H145.

Twin Medium : AS365, H155, H175

Medium / Heavy : AS332, H225.

Airbus Helicopters H135M.
Photo: Airbus Helicopter.

Airbus Helicopters EC665.
Photo: Airbus Helicopter.

Its military portfolio is made of :

Light helicopter : H125M, H135M, H645M

Helicopter middle weight class : AS565

Helicopter middle weight / heavy class : AS532, H225M

Special Helicopter : EC665 Tiger, NH90.

They fulfills roles in reconnaissance, convoy protection, antitank, sea fight, search and rescue, boarding, special operation, forward air medevac, tactical airlift.

Second largest Airbus Helicopter facilities behind Marignane in southern France, Airbus Helicopter Deutschland is located in Donauwörth in Northern Swabia, some 120km Northwest of Munich.

Largest employer in the region with more than 7000 employees worked in Airbus Helicopters facilities in Donauwörth which has already delivered more than 11 930 helicopters to 3010 operators in 149 countries.

Born from the merging of WMD and SIAT in 1956, Messerschmidt Bölkow Blohm GmbH or MBB took advantage of the end of the post-war ban on building aircraft to get involved in aviation.

MBB made the rotor blades for the Bell UH-1D and Sikorsky CH-53G built under licence in West Germany. In 1978, it will etablish an assembly line in Donauwörth for the first German-made twin engine helicopter, the Bo105.

In 1992, MBB and Aérospatiale from France merged to give birth to Eurocopter which helicopters will adopt the EC designation. Following the renaming of Eurocopter for Airbus Helicopter, the helicopter designation were adapter from EC to H with some exceptions.

Westland Sea King Mk41.

This large facilities is taking care of the maintenance and overhaul of all German armed forces helicopters which means more than 250 aircraft not only built by Airbus Helicopter but also by foreign manufacturers like Bundeswehr Westland-built Sikorky Sea King Mk4 and VFW-Fokker-built Sikorsky CH-53G.

Sikorsky CH-53G.

Besides two assembly lines, one military and one civilian, the Airbus campus in Donauwörth hosts a development center, a training academy and training workshop, a civil maintenance center, a customer center, a competence center composite as well as a shop building doors for Airbus commercial jetliners.

The training academy located next to the production line, offers training for pilots and mechanics. It encompasses a H135 full-flight simulator.

With the expansion of this facility research capabilities, Airbus Helicopters in Donauwörth becomes the epicentre of the German helicopter industry.

Its engineering teams are focusing on the development of composites not only for Airbus Helicopter but also for all branches of Airbus.

The H135, H145, EC665 Tiger, NH90 FAM and NH90 Sea Lion are built in Donauwörth.

Every part of the twin-engine lightweight H135, formerly known as the EC135 is manufactured in Donauwörth.

More than 1200 has been built since its introduction in 1996 becoming the leader on its market segment. An upgraded version was introduced in 2014.

Its military version carries the designation H135M.

The H145 is the successor of the EC145/BK-117 which has been developped in cooperation with Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan.

Airbus Helicopter is responsible for the manufacturing of the tail boom, the dynamic system, the installation of the engines and the final assembly as well in many cases the interior.

A truly multi-mission helicopter, the H145 is deployed around the world for search and rescue, VIP transport, law and enforcement, and even like in the case of the US Army UH-72A Lakota for military light utility missions.

A military version version of the H145 is called H145M.

The site is also responsible for the production of the fuselage of the all new H160 which is assembled in Airbus Helicopter plant in Marignane.

Two important military programs are located in Donauwörth : the EC665 Tiger attack helicopter and the NH90 offered in two versions : TTH for Tactical Transport Helicopter and NFH for NATO Fregate Helicopter.

On the Tiger, Donauwörth is responsible for the manufacturing of the front-end module as well as the carbon-made rotor blades and the final assembly of the Tiger UHT ordered by the German Army.

German Army NH90 TTH.

German Navy NH90 Sea Lion.

Concerning the NH90, a collaboration between Airbus Helicopters, Agusta from Italy and Stork Fokker from the Netherlands, Airbus Helicopter German facilities supplie the front and center modules as well as the control and fuel systems of all NH90. The assembly of the German Army TTH and German Navy NFH as well as Sweden and Belgium NFH is done in Donauwörth.

A total of 500 NH90 has been ordered yet by 14 nations.

At the time of the visit of the plant on July, the21st, the first of the 18 NTH90 Sea Lion ordered to replace German Navy Westland Sea King MK41 was on the assembly line. It is scheduled fo a first flight in the fourth quarter of this yer. Deliveries will take place between October 2019 and 2022.

Airbus Helicopters is considering offering an anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare version to replace German Navy Westland Sea Lynx Mk88.

MBB BO-105.
Photo: MBB.

Airbus Helicopter Donauwörth still offers maintenance for the out-of-production Bo-105 which was the bedrock of the German helicopter industry and MBB.

The site is also a hub for overhaul and retrofit of Airbus Helicopter including modifications for special missions.