Airbus Helicopters H135

Airbus Helicopters H135 Eurocopter EC135 & EC635
EC 135 of the DRF Luftrettung
Type:	Light multipurpose helicopter
Design country:	Germany
Manufacturer:	Airbus Helicopters (formerly Eurocopter)
First flight:	February 1, 1994
Commissioning:	July 31, 1996
Production time:	In series production since 1996
Number of pieces:	1,300 (as of January 2018)

EC135 - HB ZJE of AAA Alpine Air Ambulance AG (Switzerland)

The Airbus Helicopters H135 is a light twin-engine multipurpose helicopter . It was developed by the DASA group, which later became part of Eurocopter Germany (today Airbus Helicopters ) and has since been produced as the Eurocopter EC 135 . Its area of ​​application is mainly in air rescue and as a police helicopter or for comparable tasks. It is also increasingly used for the training and instruction of pilots, for example in the German armed forces or the Japanese air self-defense forces .

According to the standardized naming in the Airbus Group offer, the new T3 / P3 versions of the former EC135 will be marketed under the name H135 . The version EC635 P / T2e is now available as a military version under the designation H135M (formerly EC635 ) - a light combat, transport, observation and training helicopter previously ordered by Switzerland, Jordan and the Iraqi Air Force .

The EC135 is one of the preferred helicopters in air rescue ; currently (2013) 500 of all of the total built copies are equipped for medical emergencies, which makes up a market share of 25% worldwide.

A joint venture between Airbus Helicopters and its Chinese partner Jimo began in the summer of 2017 in the Chinese province of Shandong, outside of Qingdao, with the construction of a helicopter final assembly line, in which 100 H135s are to be completed for the Chinese market over the next few years.

development

The only prototype of the EC135, the MBB Bo 108 VT2, still in existence - of originally two copies - in the helicopter museum in Bückeburg

In terms of development history, the EC135 is derived from the Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 . On this basis, the Bo 108 model was developed in the 1980s, which was originally intended only to serve as a demonstration model for new technologies. Mainly the fly-by-wire control and a new jointless and bearingless main rotor were added, which reduces the annoying and material-tiring vibrations to a minimum, reacts extremely flexibly and is relatively quiet. The joints could be saved by using twistable GRP blades. The cell of the EC135 is largely made of CFRP .

MBB brought the prototype Bo 108 to DASA in 1989, whose helicopter activities were transferred to the newly founded Franco-German company Eurocopter in 1992. In the meantime, a helicopter based on the Bo 108 was seen to have good market opportunities, so the old construction plans were taken out of the drawers again. The French part of Eurocopter (formerly Aérospatiale ) contributed the new Fenestron rear rotor, which again promised a significant reduction in noise and a gain in safety, since free-standing rotating parts were not required.

On February 1, 1994, the Bo 108-A1 equipped with the new tail rotor took off on its maiden flight from Ottobrunn as the first helicopter of the new EC135 series . Series production started two years later. At 86 dB, the helicopter is only slightly louder than the EC 130 .

EADS confirmed on May 21, 2012 that the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ordered an inspection of the EC135 after cracks in the rotor head of four machines from different operators appeared. Since mid-May, according to EASA, the rotor blade mounts of the EC135 and the military version EC635 have to be checked for cracks before each flight.

commitment

Bundeswehr training helicopter

Open tailgate and stretcher (left)

In the army

The EC135 is only suitable to a limited extent as a training helicopter for the German Armed Forces , as it places higher demands on the pilot. The formation of the autorotation is only possible within narrow speed limits. In addition, the rotor system is heavily loaded during the autorotation, since very high cone angles are achieved. Therefore, the student pilots learn the landing with autorotation in the simulator at the International Helicopter Training Center in Bückeburg and practice the practical part on a MBB BO 105 in a two-week training period in Celle .

For initial training, the Bundeswehr procured a special “long-legged” version of the EC135T1 with a high skid landing gear, as is also used in the EC135 of the Federal Police and the civil defense helicopters (except H135 T3) of the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The primary intention here was to train the pilots on a type of helicopter which, because of its cockpit, is suitable for later switching to the Eurocopter Tiger and NH90 , but also the CH-53GA, which are equipped with similar cockpits .

In air rescue

In Germany, the Eurocopter EC135 in has air rescue the Bo 105, MBB / Kawasaki BK 117 almost completely replaced and other types of helicopters, as the fleet of the DRF Air Rescue and the ADAC -Luftrettung consists mostly of EC135. This model is used exclusively by the Christophorus Air Rescue Association in Austria . The Polish air rescue Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe (LPR) has been using the EC135 since 2009; 17 air rescue bases of the Ministry of Health are being equipped with 23 helicopters. In 2013, 17 units of the EC135 were also selected as the preferred model for air rescue in Turkey. The first fully equipped air ambulance for the Beijing region (HEMS = helicopter emergency medical services) was handed over to the subsidiary "Beijing 999" of the Chinese Red Cross on October 9, 2014 in Donauwörth.

Models

EC 135 T2 +

The letter T stands for the Turboméca Arrius engine; the P for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206 gas turbine. The other characters indicate the respective expansion stage. (Later specimens have the central instrument display system English. " Central Panel Display System " (CPDS)).

Civil

• EC135 P1 with PW206B
• EC135 T1 with Arrius 2B1, 2B1A or 2B1A1

Both have a maximum takeoff weight of 2720 kg.

• EC135 P2 with PW206B2
• EC135 T2 with Arrius 2B2

Both have more power with one engine and a maximum take-off weight of 2835 kg.

• EC135 P2 + ("i") with PW206B2
• EC135 T2 + ("i") with Arrius 2B2

Both have a maximum takeoff weight of 2910 kg and an increased power output thanks to the revised digital engine control . The variant EC 135 T2i has a flight time of 2 hours 25 minutes with a fuel consumption of around 225 l / h kerosene (fuel quantity: 673 l).

• EC135 P2 + ("e")
• EC135 T2 + ("e")

Both models have a take-off weight increased by 40 kg to 2950 kg. Both variants "i" and "e" are listed under the designation "+" at the factory. The respective version is not readily available, e.g. B. on the nameplate to recognize.

• H135 with Turbomeca Arrius 2B2plus (formerly EC135 T3)
• H135 with Pratt & Whitney PW206B3 (formerly EC135 P3)
• EC135 Hermes

The T3 / P3 models now have a takeoff weight of 2980 kg, a range of 609 km at cruising speed (252 km / h) without fuel reserve and an operating temperature range of −35 ° C to +39 ° C ISA or a maximum of +50 ° C. The payload was increased, the range increased at higher cruising speeds and the performance in hot climates improved. The smaller and lighter Hermes version (2910 kg) has a range of around 635 km at cruising speed.

Military

→ Main article : Airbus Helicopters H135M

• H135M (formerly EC635 in version P / T2 + "e"): The military version of the H135.

Technical specifications

Play media file

Start of an EC 135 T1 of the Christophorus Air Rescue Association

Cockpit EC 135P1

Play media file

Police helicopter takes off at Völtendorf airfield

With an excellent performance, it also flies with only one functioning engine (one-engine inoperative = OEI, fail-safe).

Parameter	Data
Engines	2 × Turboméca Arrius -2 B with 609 kW / 816 WPS each (OEI 30sec rating, take-off: 472 kW / 633 WPS) or Pratt & Whitney PW 206 B with 609 kW / 816 WPS each
Top speed	259 km / h (140 kts) (at MTOW )
Cruising speed	230 km / h (124 kts) (economical; MTOW)
Hover altitude	10,000 feet (3045 meters) or 8,000 feet (2438 meters, 20 ° C; MTOW) max.
Altitude	Max. 20,000 feet (6095 meters) at 2,720 kg
Standard range	about 635 km
Take-off weight	Max. 2910 kg
Standard empty weight	1455 kg
Main rotor speed	Max. 395 min −1
length	12.19 m
height	3.51 m
Rotor diameter	10.20 m
Total payload	Max. 1455 kg
Payload attached	Max. 1300 kg
Rate of climb	Max. 7.6 m / s

The data comes from Airbus Helicopters and Turbomeca and relates to the P3 / T3 models.

Incidents

• On February 28, 2005, an EC 135 from the Army Aviation School (Bundeswehr) in Bückeburg crashed from a low altitude during its pilot training due to a "whiteout" on an external landing site of the Army Aviation School. Snow had been swirled around during approach exercises and the trainee pilot lost control of the helicopter for lack of orientation. The three inmates were only slightly injured.
• On May 1, 2006, Christophorus 6, a Eurocopter EC135 T1 belonging to the Christophorus Air Rescue Association , fell about 25 meters from the roof of the Salzburg accident hospital . The helicopter crashed five meters above the landing platform. The cause was a loss of tail rotor effectiveness after a collision with the outer edge of the roof landing area due to an incorrect approach procedure by the pilot. The EC135 fell on a playground that was closed that day. All five occupants survived the crash.
• On March 30, 2011, a Eurocopter EC135 of the Austrian flight police crashed into Lake Achensee , killing four people.
• On November 29, 2013, a Eurocopter EC135T2 police helicopter operated by Bond Helicopters crashed on the roof of the Clutha Vault pub on the banks of the River Clyde in Glasgow ; The civilian pilot, the two police officers on board and seven visitors to the pub were killed. The British Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIB) came to the conclusion that the transfer pumps that transport the fuel from the main tank to the supply tank were not switched on, leaving 76 kg of fuel unused in the main tank. Warnings that the supply tanks were emptying were displayed and confirmed by the pilot. Contrary to the instructions in the flight manual, however, the pilot did not initiate a landing within the specified time, as a result of which the engines failed one after the other due to a lack of fuel. An emergency landing by means of autorotation did not take place for unexplained reasons.
• On the evening of February 25, 2016, a Eurocopter EC135 of the German Federal Police with three people on board crashed on the outskirts of Bimöhlen in Schleswig-Holstein . The co-pilot and one other occupant were killed in the accident, the pilot survived seriously injured. The helicopter was on a night training flight. The base of a federal police squadron is located near the crash site .
• On January 23, 2018, a DRF Luftrettung helicopter collided with a Piper PA-28 Cherokee in flight near Oberhausen-Rheinhausen . In the collision, both the pilots of the Eurocopter and the two occupants of the sports machine from Switzerland lost their lives.
• On February 12, 2018, the rescue helicopter Martin 6 (a helicopter from the Heli Austria fleet ) was called to work in the Großglockner Resort Kals-Matrei ski area in Matrei in East Tyrol , when the helicopter of the type Airbus Helicopters H135 T3s dropped its tail up and was damaged. Neither the pilot, flight rescuer nor the person to be rescued were injured. The person to be rescued was rescued with another rescue helicopter.
• On July 1, 2019, an EC135 training helicopter from the International Helicopter Training Center at the Bückeburg Air Base of the Bundeswehr crashed into a grain field in Dehmke in the Hameln-Pyrmont district in Lower Saxony . One pilot was killed in the crash and another inmate was seriously injured.

Trivia

The EC135 is also known from the TV series HeliCops - Operation via Berlin and Die Bergretter .

See also

• List of helicopter types

Web links

Commons : Airbus Helicopters H135  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Type certificate of the EC 135 - EASA-TCDS-R.009 (PDF, accessed on June 19, 2015; 1 MB)
• Manufacturer website
• Article about the Eurocopter EC 135 at rth.info
• The EC 135 as a rescue helicopter
• MBB Bo 108 VT2 in the helicopter museum in Bückeburg

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} EC135 Highlight , Airbus Helicopters, YouTube video from July 28, 2011.
2. ↑ Airbus Helicopters delivers 1300th H135 , article on flight review from January 29, 2018.
3. ↑ ^{a b} Tolga Ozbek: EC135 picked for Turkish air ambulance duties . In: Flightglobal . May 9, 2013, accessed January 14, 2015.
4. ↑ Airbus builds helicopters in China
5. ↑ Cracks on Eurocopter rotors : investigation ordered, Österreichischer Rundfunk , May 21, 2012.
6. ↑ Polish Air Rescue receives its first EC135. (No longer available online.) Aerokurier, September 10, 2009, archived from the original ; accessed on May 29, 2019 . 
7. ↑ Airbus Helicopters delivers China's first fully-equipped air ambulance (English) ( Memento from October 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), press release, Airbus Helicopters, Donauwörth, from October 9, 2014.
8. ↑ EC135 Beijing 999 Air Ambulance , Airbus Helicopters, Donauwörth, YouTube video from October 9, 2014.
9. ↑ Data sheet EC 135 T2i, civil defense helicopter, Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, accessed on October 14, 2014.
10. ↑ Data sheet EC 135 P3 / T3 ( Memento from October 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), Airbus Helicopters.
11. ↑ Data sheet Arrius 2B2 (engine) ( Memento from March 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), Turbomeca.
12. ↑ Federal Office for Transport, Federal Accident Investigation Center, Aviation Department: Investigation report FLIGHT ACCIDENT WITH THE HELICOPTER TYPE EUROCOPTER EC 135 T1. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; accessed on October 11, 2018 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.    
13. ^ Rescue helicopter C 6 crashed on http://sbgv1.orf.at/ , May 2, 2006, accessed on January 17, 2015.
14. ↑ Support from the air at bmi.gv.at (PDF), accessed on December 2, 2013.
15. ↑ Interior Ministry helicopter crashed: four dead on derstandard.at , March 30, 2011, accessed on December 2, 2013
16. ↑ Carsten Volkery: helicopter accident in Glasgow. Spiegel Online, November 30, 2013, accessed November 30, 2013 . 
17. ^ Ninth victim recovered from rubble ( memento from December 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) on tagesschau.de , December 2, 2013, accessed on December 3, 2013.
18. ↑ Flight International , November 3, 2015, p. 14
19. ↑ AAIB: Aircraft Accident Report AAR 3/2015 - G-SPAO, November 29, 2013. Accessed October 30, 2015 . 
20. ↑ Investigations after helicopter crash in Bimöhlen. In: shz.de. Holsteinischer Courier, February 26, 2016, accessed February 26, 2016 . 
21. ↑ Rescue helicopter collides with sports aircraft , accessed on February 25, 2018.
22. ↑ Rescue helicopter damaged on landing in East Tyrol , accessed on August 27, 2018.
23. ^ Bundeswehr helicopter crashed in Lower Saxony , accessed on July 1, 2019.
24. ↑ https://www.haz.de/Nachrichten/Der-Norden/Hubschrauber-Absturz-in-Hameln-Pyrmont-vermutlich-ein-Toter
25. ↑ https://www.flugrevue.de/h135-ec135-ec-135-airbus-helicopters-bueckeburg-hameln