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| H160-B civil variant | |
| Role | Medium utility helicopter |
|---|---|
| National origin | Multinational |
| Manufacturer | Airbus Helicopters |
| First flight | 13 June 2015 |
| Introduction | 2021 |
| Status | In production |
| Produced | 2015-present |
The Airbus Helicopters H160 (formerly X4) is a medium utility helicopter developed by Airbus Helicopters. Formally launched at Heli-Expo in Orlando, Florida on 3 March 2015, it is intended to replace the AS365 and EC155 models in the firm's lineup. In June 2015, the first test flight took place. It received its EASA type certification in July 2020, and first deliveries were in December 2021
The Airbus Helicopters H160 was first revealed to the public in 2011, at which point it was referred to by company representatives by the designation X4 – a designation which implied it to be a follow-on from the Eurocopter X3, a high-speed hybrid helicopter technology demonstrator. Speaking in early 2011, Eurocopter (later renamed as Airbus Helicopters) chief Lutz Bertling declared that the X4 would be a "game changer", contrasting significance of the innovations it would feature with Airbus' development of fly-by-wire controls. Early features alluded to include Blue Edge active tracking rotor blades, advanced pilot assistance functionality, and reduced vibration to "near-jet" levels of smoothness. The X4 was also described as having a "radically different" cockpit, Bertling stating that "The cockpit as we know it today will not be there". It was also announced that the X4 would be introduced in two stages: an interim model in 2017 with some of the advanced features absent, and a more advanced model following in 2020
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The H160 opened a new chapter in the history of Airbus helicopters. Joining its rotorcraft product range in a size that is positioned between the company’s H145 and H175, this innovative medium helicopter became the first member of the H generation.
Airbus claimed that the all-composite H160 would deliver the same basic performance.
The H160 is one of the world’s most technologically advanced helicopters, designed and built to deliver the highest levels of operational safety while providing unmatched comfort.
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