Airbus Helicopters H135M

H135M
H135M of the Swiss Air Force
Type:	Military multipurpose helicopter
Design country:	Germany France
Manufacturer:	Airbus Helicopters
First flight:	March 2001

The Airbus Helicopters H135M (formerly EC635) is a helicopter from the European manufacturer Airbus Helicopters . It is the military version of the H135 .

history

The prototype first flew on March 31, 2001. The type was presented for the first time in 2002 at the International Aerospace Exhibition in Berlin . The development goes back to a request by the Portuguese Army for a light multi-purpose helicopter in 1999. At Eurocopter in Donauwörth , development and production of the EC 635 began with the revision of the EC 135. Only minimal changes were made for the military version. These are the reinforcement of the structure and the attachment of weapon suspension points, which create the conditions for light armament of the helicopter. On August 10, 2001, the type certification of the EC 635 T1 was carried out by the EASA.

In the course of the restructuring and renaming of the parent company EADS to the Airbus Group , it was decided in August 2013 to rename the Eurocopter company to Airbus Helicopters from January 2014 .

variants

• H135M (formerly EC 635 T1): The variant motorized with the Turbomeca Arrius 2B2 turbine has an output of 417 kW.
• H135M (formerly EC 635 P1): The variant motorized with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2 turbine has an output of 419 kW.
• H135M (formerly EC 635 P2i): This model with Pratt & Whitney Canada turbines has an increased take-off weight, higher payload and the ability to operate in high-altitude areas at very high temperatures.
• H135M (formerly EC 635 T2i): This model with Turbomeca Arrius turbines has an increased take-off weight, higher payload and the ability to operate in high-altitude areas at very high temperatures.

Technical specifications

EC 635P2 + of the Swiss Air Force ( ILA 2010 )

Mock-up of an EC 635 at the ILA 2012

Parameter	Data H135M from year of construction 2008 *
Rotor diameter	10.20 m
length	10.16 m
Empty weight	1900 kg (without troop seats)
Max. Takeoff weight	2910 kg
Top speed	259 km / h
Max. Cruising speed	256 km / h
Altitude	3050-2070 m (with and without ground effect )
Starting power	640 kW
Continuous output	566 kW
Engines	2 × Pratt & Whitney PW 206B2 gas turbines
Range	552 km
Flight duration	about 3 hours

 * The technical data are based on information provided by the Swiss Air Force.

Rotor system

The H135M is equipped with a rigid rotor head and elastically suspended rotor blades . A Fenestron is used for torque compensation at the rear . The main rotor gearbox from ZF Getriebe GmbH was designed to be extremely flat and is damped in the X, Y and Z axes.

structure

Roof structure

The roof structure consists of formed and riveted sheets made of aluminum alloys and, in the engine area, made of titanium for fire protection reasons . The main gearbox and the two engines are attached to the roof structure.

Side frames

The side ribs are also made of shaped and riveted aluminum sheet and connect the roof structure with the floor structure. The suspension points for any weapon carriers or abseiling devices and winches are also attached to them.

Soil structure

Like the roof structure and the side ribs, the floor structure is also made from formed and riveted aluminum sheet. The self-sealing fuel tanks are embedded in these and the suspensions for the load beam are attached, which can be attached under the fuselage.

Cabin frame

The cabin frame is made of a fiber-plastic composite and is hollow. The cabin glazing made of acrylic glass as well as the cabin doors and the roof cladding are attached to it.

Tail rotor carrier

The tail rotor arm with the horizontal stabilizer attached to it and the vertical stabilizer, in which the Fenestron is built, consists almost entirely of fiber-plastic composite . Due to cracks at the transition between the tail rotor arm and the vertical tail, this part was reinforced with riveted sheet metal on all EC 635s of the Swiss Air Force .

Weapon aiming systems

So far none are planned. The following devices configured for police helicopters can be mounted on the runners:

• 1 × high-performance searchlight (e.g. Spectrolab SX-16 "Nitesun")
• 1 × gyro-stabilized rotary sensor tower with thermal imaging and daylight digital film camera ( FLIR such as L3 Wescam MX-15 or 16DWS)

Armament

Internal (mounted on swiveling rotating ball mounts in the sliding door)

• 2 × 7.62 mm machine guns Fabrique Nationale FN MAG 60.30 GPMG with several belt boxes of 100 rounds of ammunition each

External (ordnance for a maximum of 1200 kg on two external load carriers in front of the sliding door)

The following weapons can be carried on two side weapon carriers:

Unguided air-to-surface missiles

• 2 × Forges de Zeebrugge FZ231 tubular rocket launch containers for 12 × unguided Hydra or WA air-to-ground missiles each ; Caliber 70 mm / 2.75 inches
• 2 × LAU-59 / A rocket tube launch containers for 7 × unguided Hydra air-to-surface rockets each ; Caliber 70 mm (2.75 inch)
• 2 × rocket tube launch containers TBA Telson 12 for 12 × unguided SNEB air-to-ground rockets each ; Caliber 68 mm
• or alternatively (Iraq): 1 × Forges de Zeebrugge FZ233 tubular rocket launch container for 7 × unguided Hydra or WA air-to-surface missiles each ; Caliber 70 mm / 2.75 inch

Air-to-surface guided missile

• 2 × TBA Telson 8-rocket tube launch container for 8 × ACULEUS 68 LG laser-guided air-to- surface missiles each .

Additional container

• 2 × machine canon container Nexter (GIAT) POD NC 621 , each with a 20 mm automatic cannon M621 and the 180 rounds of ammunition
• 2 × FN-Herstal HMP 400LC-MG containers each with an FN-M3P-12.7-mm machine gun and 400 rounds of ammunition each

Self protection

active

The following systems could be optionally installed, but have not yet been ordered by any customer.

• Missile approach warning system (EADS MILDS AN / AAR-60)
• electronic decoy launcher system ( MBDA Saphir-M )

passive

• 3 × cable cutters

Exports

 Brazil : 3 UH-17; The Marinha do Brasil ordered in 2019 three specimens zuliefen 2020th You are in the service of Squadron HU-1 at the Naval Base São Pedro da Aldeia .

 Iraq : 24 , On March 25, 2009, the Iraqi government signed a contract with the French government for an order volume of 24 EC 635 Eurocopters. The total amounts to around 360 million euros and the contract also includes a training program for Iraqi pilots by French instructors as well as a maintenance program that includes spare parts and training.

 Portugal : 0 (9) ; Eurocopter promised a delivery of nine machines between July 2001 and March 2002. Since this apparently did not materialize due to technical problems, the order worth 35 million euros was canceled; the country received the purchase price back, including compensation in the millions. A total of two machines (serial numbers 0173 and 0183) were temporarily delivered to Portugal, but they were subsequently returned.

 Jordan : 9 ; The delivery was then offered to other armed forces. Jordan eventually bought the nine helicopters that were delivered starting in 2004. (Serial numbers: 0173, 0183, 0194, 0200, 0201, 0202, 0206, 0208, 0216).

 Switzerland : 20 ; The Swiss Air Force has procured 18 EC 635P2 + and two EC 135P2 + in VIP design, which are also referred to there as EC 635, to replace the outdated Alouette III . The armaments business includes the delivery of four machines from Germany; the assembly of the remaining machines takes place in Switzerland. This adds up to a total of around 200 million euros. In September 2009 all 18 pieces were delivered.

The former Swiss news magazine Facts published in its September 22nd 2005 issue that Switzerland was paying an excessive price for the EC 635 and that this was part of an agreement between the Swiss defense group RUAG and the Airbus group, which Eurocopter belongs to. The purchase price (15 million francs each compared to the five million that Portugal paid) should be understood as a "thank you" for the close cooperation between Ruag and Airbus - Ruag previously received "order protection" of 310 million Francs. The purchase price for the 20 helicopters is also 310 million. The Swiss parliament investigated the allegations. In its final report, the Swiss Competition Commission came to the conclusion that the “preliminary investigation” should be completed without consequences. Facts was obliged to make a reply and stuck to his account. The price for the delivery of the helicopters to Portugal was sealed in 1999, the contract for the delivery of the Swiss helicopters dates from 2006.

The Swiss helicopters are for u. a. light transport (internal and external load), passenger and VIP transport, fire fighting and reconnaissance and used as a training helicopter. They can also be requested for civil aid on request.

literature

• Facts , September 22, 2005: Pimp my Helikopter

Web links

Commons : Airbus Helicopters H135M  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Type certificate of EC 135 - EASA-TCDS-R.009 (PDF; 565 kB)
• The EC 635 in the Swiss Air Force

Individual evidence

1. ↑ EASA-TCDS (PDF; 565 kB)
2. ↑ eads.com: EADS Reports Solid Half-Year (H1) Results, Reaffirms 2013 Guidance ( memento of August 13, 2013 on WebCite ), press release of July 31, 2013
3. ↑ http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/ec_635/
4. ↑ The EC 635 at the Swiss Air Force ( Memento from July 18, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
5. ↑ Brazilian Navy inducts first H135 helicopter, Janes, March 3, 2020
6. ↑ Information from the Swiss Air Force on EC 635. ( Memento from July 18, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
7. ↑ ( Page no longer available , search in web archives: final report of August 7, 2007 of the Swiss Competition Commission, PDF file, 84 kB )