Airbus Helicopters is here exhibiting a full-scale mockup of the H160 medium twin, a long-awaited successor for the Dauphin family designed to lock horns with the AgustaWestland AW139 on the 12-passenger market. Previously codenamed X4, the clean-sheet design features Blue Edge main rotor blades for quieter operation, a canted fenestron tail rotor for increased payload and the Helionix avionics suite, developed in-house, that can also be found on the EC145 T2 (now renamed H145) and the EC175 (now H175). Other innovations include a fully composite airframe, a biplane stabilizer–for improved main rotor efficiency–and an electrically actuated retractable landing gear.

The first flight of a prototype is planned for this year with entry into service in 2018. The H160 was unveiled at the U.S. Heli-Expo show in Orlando, Florida in February.

For an offshore oil-and-gas mission, the H160 will offer class 1 takeoff performance for 12 passengers and a 120-nm radius of action. In search-and-rescue, hover out of ground effect can be maintained at up to 5,000 feet and range reaches out to 450 nm with a 20-minute reserve. The “smooth cruise speed” will be 160 kts, without a counter-vibration system.

Airbus Helicopters’ marketing people see this as equivalent to the AW139’s performance, “for one metric ton less.” The H160 is said to be in the 5.5- to 6-ton category (12,000 to 13,000 lbs), while the AW139’s optional mtow has been raised to 7 tons (15,400 lbs). Airbus estimates the H160 will have a fuel burn advantage of 15-20 percent over the AW139.

The five Blue Edge blades, already seen on an EC155 demonstrator, will bring a 3 dB improvement over the noise level of a production EC155. The shape also helps lift–the enhancement is expected an increase in maximum gross weight of up to 220 lbs. The 12-degree-canted tail rotor is the first such design with a shrouded fenestron. It combines its antitorque role with a vertical-lift component, which is said to increase payload by some 90 lbs.

The third major aerodynamic feature is the biplane stabilizer. It keeps its function in forward flight and increases stability in approach, according to its designers. It also reduces the masking effect such a surface has on main rotor thrust–the bottom line is another 110 pounds of payload improvement.

In systems, the electric landing gear is seen as lighter and safer than its hydraulic equivalent. For safety, the key is to eliminate high-pressure hydraulic fluid lines below the cabin floor.

The Helionix suite is very close to that of the EC175, based on four 6-inch by 8-inch displays. A major difference is the return of the overhead panel for engine controls. Cursor-control devices and a touchscreen will be optional.

The airframe is all-composite, most materials on the H160 being similar to those found on the military NH90. Airbus expects a reduction in maintenance needs and “maximized occupant safety.” An innovation on the bearingless Spheriflex rotor hub is the use of thermoplastics for lower-cost manufacturing, reduced weight and, above all, damage tolerance–any cracks would propagate very slowly.

Due to an increased need for power, the 1,100- to 1,300-shp Turbomeca Arrano 1A is now the sole-source engine for the H160. However, the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210E, which was previously an option, will still be installed on the first H160 prototype.

The design of the H160 has not been only about technical details, as the designers have also played close attention to styling. One driver in this was the history of the company, but the style bureau also wanted to show that this is a new aircraft and to give it a strong identity, “which could make it as recognizable as a Dauphin.”

Three prototypes–dubbed PT1, PT2 and PT3–are to participate into the flight-test program. They will be joined by a pre-production aircraft (PS01) in flight tests. An EC155 demonstrator has been used in helping refine the Blue Edge blades, the stabilizer and the canted tail rotor and it will continue to support the H160’s development.

Airbus plans to begin taking orders in 2016.