Airbus Helicopters’ PioneerLab team is set to make its first hybrid-electric powered flight in 2027. During a media briefing on March 3 at its Donauwörth facility in Germany, the company announced the target date and said the project is on track to confirm a preliminary design later this year.

Unveiled in September 2023 with the intention of testing technologies specifically dedicated to twin-engine helicopters, the PioneerLab concept is based on the H145 platform. The test aircraft will be powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system developed and refined in-house in an attempt to lower fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 30%.

This target was set based on initial studies of different propulsion systems. The H145’s existing Safran Helicopter Engines Arriel 2E turboshafts will be replaced by a hybrid-electric system, combining a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engine with a pair of Collins Aerospace 250-kW electric motors and controllers.

Drawing on lessons learned from the 100-kW electric motor employed on an earlier autorotation-focused trial with the smaller H125, project manager Dominik Strobel said, “This system is not only a backup function, it’s a full hybrid twin-engine.” He noted that the location of the batteries, provided from an undisclosed supplier, is still being finalized.

Propulsion questions still to be resolved by the PioneerLab team include which phases of flight are most suited to electric power integration and which will best benefit from thermal power. Johannes Plaum, head of research and technology at Airbus Helicopters Germany, acknowledged the limited capacities currently offered by today’s lithium-ion batteries. Further, the addition of an electrical element will require further collaboration between all parties to develop the required Fadec capability.  

With the preliminary design review planned to be completed by year-end, unspecified aerodynamic modifications to the aircraft, which are expected to account for around 10% of the total efficiency gains, will commence later this year. “We will focus more in the aft sector than the front,” revealed Plaum, who added that adaptations will focus not only on forward flight but also embrace “the more difficult part” of efficiencies in the hover.

Work Could Lead to Other H145 Improvements

The first flights of these drag-reducing modifications are scheduled for 2026, and some elements could later be incorporated into wider H145 design refinements, described by Plaum as “a hot topic for this helicopter in the future.” Installation of the hybrid powertrain is estimated to take up to a year.

In the meantime, the PioneerLab has plenty to keep busy with pending powertrain design decisions to be finalized for other applications. With the team also tasked with advancing the integration of digital technology and other environmental initiatives, flight testing of an automatic takeoff/touchdown system commenced a few weeks ago.

Sensors located on bars above the skids and fuselage-mounted cameras allow the autopilot to see and recognize obstacles and chart a safe path while providing a fully automated touchdown with the click of a button. Augmented by a third centrally-mounted camera, an upcoming fourth camera also aims to provide 360-degree coverage.

The potential integration of bio-based or recycled material into the nose section is also an area of ongoing attention. The PioneeerLab is partially funded through BMWK, the Federal German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Actions through German national research project LuFo. Funding calls are made every other year, with the average funding period lasting for three years.