Changes Eight Of Ten Helicopter Orders To New Five-Bladed Upgrade

The Ukrainian Ministry of Interior has taken the decision to change eight of its ten H145s on order to the five-bladed upgrade that was revealed at Heli-Expo.

“We are extremely proud to be offering the law enforcement agency of Ukraine with such a high level of modern rotary-wing technology” said Arsen Avakov, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. “We have already started to modernize emergency services and National Guard fleets with three successful deliveries of the H225 since the end of December and we look forward to adding the new H145 for law enforcement missions,” he said.

“Airbus Helicopters is proud that the Ukrainian Ministry of Interior has opted for the upgrade of the H145” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “We are sure that the (330 pound) payload increase and accrued comfort for pilots and passengers will be an added advantage to Ukraine’s public service missions,” he said.

Following the Intergovernmental Agreement signed between France and Ukraine for 55 helicopters mid-2018, Airbus Helicopters has already delivered three out of the 21 repurposed H225s on order. The deal also included 10 brand new H145, eight of which will be equipped with the five-bladed rotor, and 24 H125s for search and rescue (SAR), public services, and emergency medical service (EMS) missions in the country. The aircraft will be operated and maintained in Ukraine as the contract also foresees the setting up of a local training and maintenance centre.

The new upgrade of the H145, revealed at Heli-Expo, embodies Airbus’ approach to value creation through innovation. It boasts several new features that will allow customers to enhance their operations: The innovative five-blade bearingless rotor increases the useful load by 330 pounds, further enhancing the mission capabilities of the aircraft. This new rotor also improves crew and passenger comfort. Other advantages include a smaller D-value, allowing the H145 to operate in more confined areas, simplified maintenance, and an increased availability rate.

(Image provided with Airbus Helicopters news release)

FMI: www.airbus.com