Italy-based Aiut Alpin Dolomites was set to begin operating the Airbus Helicopters EC135T3, the latest version of the ubiquitous light twin, on mountain search-and-rescue (SAR) missions last month. What might appear to be a minor upgrade yields a major boost in performance, especially in critical hot-and-high conditions, and organizations such as Aiut expect they will have a valuable reserve of power when operating at altitude with a full team of rescuers.

The T3 differs only slightly from its predecessor. The Turbomeca Arrius 2B2 Plus turboshaft features new Fadec that allows higher turbine outlet temperature and thus more power. The new air intakes, lateral as opposed to frontal, reduce so-called installation losses from compromised airflow. The four main rotor blades have been lengthened, increasing the diameter by eight inches. The vertical end plates on the horizontal stabilizer have been scaled down, and the ventral part of the vertical fin has been shrunk to vestigial.

The modifications to the tail were demanded by the greater thrust from the main rotor, which has significantly changed the airflow around the airframe, chief test pilot Volker Bau told AIN. The development program involved 900 flight hours, including some training, by five aircraft, Bau said. For pilots already type-rated on earlier EC135s, the training consists of classroom familiarization and one hour of flying.

Greater Margins

The EC135T3 was designed to satisfy operators’ requirement for more power. “When hovering at between 10,000 and 13,000 feet with a full crew to winch up a victim and a rescuer, we’ll still have some safety margin in case of a downdraft,” Aiut co-founder Raffel Kostner told AIN, emphasizing this is not the case with the T2. The category A certification means that the T3 will not lose height in the event of an engine failure while hovering. In hover out of ground effect using takeoff power at 7,000 feet and ISA+20, the T3 can carry 500 pounds more payload than the T2.

Aiut’s crews consist of one pilot, one winch operator, one physician and one mountain rescuer. Kostner believes the EC135 is the right size for his operation, since 98 percent of the missions involve one stretcher, but there is room for two. His philosophy is to use the smallest helicopter he can–to limit downwash–and to get the patient to the hospital as quickly as possible. It is therefore critical that the helicopter allow the operator to winch a victim and accompanying rescuer directly into the cabin, close the door and fly away without delay.

Aiut’s crews can take off on two minutes’ notice. So far, operations have taken place only in daylight but Kostner is considering adding night-vision goggle capability (NVG) in the near term to provide more flexibility in the late afternoon in winter. The cockpit of Aiut’s T3 is compatible with NVGs, and the base’s helipad is equipped for night takeoffs and landings.

Operator Star Work Sky holds the AOC and acts as a service provider for the company’s T2, which the T3 will replace. The current helicopter is on SAR duty eight months per year, in winter and summer, and it logs 700 missions annually. “Approximately 50 percent of the heavily injured we rescue survive,” said Lydia Rauch, medical director.

Because Aiut operates in an area where three languages are spoken–Ladin, Italian and German–it requires a crew to consist of one speaker of each; the pilot must also speak English.

Still ahead for the EC135 is certification of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B3-powered P3 version, slated for the first quarter of this year, and a four-axis autopilot, according to chief engineer Johannes Plaum. Later, possibly next year, Airbus’s Helionix suite will replace the current avionics.

An EC135T3 typically equipped for HEMS sells for approximately €5 million ($6.25 million). Retrofits are offered for in-service EC135P2/T2s, ranging in price from €300,000 to €700,000 ($375,000 to $875,000) depending on options.