Fluggerät

Eurocopter EC175 (Z15)

The latest Eurocopter development is realised in cooperation with Avicoper in Harbin (China).

Type (Muster)
Multi-purpose helicopter (Mehrzweckhubschrauber)

Country (Land)
France, Germany and China

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Eurocopter
Aeroport Marseille Provence
F-13725 Marignane Cedex
France

Phone: 0033-4/4285-9291
Fax: 0033-4/4285-9564
Internet: www.eurocopter.com

Programme partners are Eurocopter and Avicopter of China, a subsidiary of China´s AVIC II corporation. Hafei Aviation Industry Company (formerly the Harbin Aviation Industry Group) in Harbin is now part of Avicopter.

General data (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2 for IFR missions, 1 for VFR flights
Passengers (Passagiere): up to 16 in four-abreast rows.
Baggage (Gepäck): 2,35 cu m

Power plant (Antrieb): Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67E, similar to the engines installed in the AW139 and the BA609 , with new generation FADEC
Power (Leistung): up to 1490 kW (2000 shp)

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
No data available yet

Weights (Massen)
Fuel (Kraftstoff): 2300 litres (630 US gal) in underfloor tanks. One optional auxiliary fuel tank adds more than 90 US gals (almost 350 liters) for long range missions.
Take-off weight (Startmasse): 7 ton class

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Never-exceed speed (Höchstgeschwindigkeit): 280 km/h
Cruise speed (Reisegeschwindigkeit): about 250 km/h
Radius of action (Einsatzradius): 500 km (270 NM) on offshore mission at ISA + 20 deg C
Range (Reichweite): around 1295 km (700 NM)

Costs (Kosten)
No sales price has been disclosed by Eurocopter yet.
Eurocopter and AVIC II will each invest 300 million Euros to develop the new helicopter, it was said at contact signature on 5 December 2005. This figure still stood at the time of the first flight in December 20009.

Customers (Kunden)
At the time of the first flight in December 2009, Eurocopter claimed 114 reservations (backed by a downpayment) from 14 customers. Conversion to firm contracts was said to start in 2010.
By the end of Heli-Expo 2008 in Houston, Texas, Eurocopter reported 111 commitments for the EC175 from 13 customers. Among them are:
# Bond
# Bristow Group: 12. Revealed as launch customer at Heli-Expo 2008.
# Dancopter: 2.
# ERA
# Global Vectra from India
# Halvorson Group: 5 (plus 5 options). Announced at Heli-Expo 2008.
# Heli-Union in France
# HNZ from New Zealand
# NHV in Belgium
# Longken General Aviation: 5. Letter of intent was signed in November 2008 ath Zhuhai air show.
# Pegaso from Mixico.
# UTair: 15 (plus 15 on option). UTair is the largest Russion private operator. Signature at Heli-Expo 2008
# VIH Aviation Group: 6. Revealed as launch customer at Heli-Expo 2008
Sales forecasts for the EC175 call for 800 to be sold worldwide over the next 20 years, it was said in December 2005. China alone needs 300.

Competitors (Konkurrenz)
AgustaWestland AW139

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The EC175 is a multirole, medium-twin class civil helicopter to fill the gap in the Eurocopter range between the EC155 and the EC225/Super Puma family. The helicopter is based on customer input in through various workshops. The EC175 is primarily designed for two main missions: Oil & Gas crew change and Search & Rescue. But it is also perfectly capable of other roles, like VIP/corporate transport or patient transport as well as police and homeland security services.
Features of the new helicopter are:
# 5-bladed Spheriflex main rotor with blades of advanced aerodynamic design. On condition maintenance
# glass cockpit with four 15 x 20 cm (6x8-inch) multi-function LCD displays, plus one optional central mission display
# four-axis digital Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS)
# advanced, open architecture avionics based on the EC225
# crashworthy airframe
# wide cabin, with large windows and flat floor. All fuel is carried in crash-resistant tanks unterfloor.
# Sea State 6 capability with a high helicopter waterline. The risk of capsizing is minimal
The EC175 will be certified for two-pilot IFR and single-pilot VFR operations.
Production of the EC 175 will be shared on a 50/50 basis between Eurocopter and China and each country will have its own assembly line. After a cautious start, Eurocopter wants to build some 30 helicopters a year for the international market.
Among the subcontractors are APPH, which will supply the landing gear.

History (Geschichte)
On 9 October 2004, during a visit of French President Chirac to China, a cooperation framework agreement was signed outlining the general principles of a new joint helicopter development program with the product being available in 2010. In November, a Eurocopter source said that a finalised contract should be ready by March 2005.
2005
At Heli-Expo in early February 2005, Eurocopter president Fabrice Bregier confirmed that codevelopment of a new machine fitting between the EC155 and the EC225 is planned. He was “very confident that we will be able to confirm this agreement in the coming months.”
In a French parliamentary report on research dated 12 October 2005 it was reported that Eurocopter had concluded a framework agreement wich China regarding the development and certification of the EC175 and that 7,5 million Euros in financing help would be provided.
On 5 December 2005, in the presence of the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, and the French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, a cooperation agreement covering the development of the EC175 was signed by the President of AVIC II, Zhang Hongbiao, and the President of Eurocopter, Fabrice Brégier. At that time it was announced that the five-year development phase will be kicked off early in 2006. The new civil helicopter is due to make its first flight in 2009, with European and Chinese certification set for 2011, the year in which production is due to start.
2006
In January 2006, Eurocopter set up a joint Eurocopter-China design office at Marignane. From 16 January, some 30 Chines engineers were working there to define the basic technical framework for detailed design later on. CATIA V5 software is used.
From April 2006 to November 2007, Eurocopter organized five meetings with civil customers. The Advisory Board influenced the design regarding aspects like cabin size.
In September 2006, the European Commission, acting under the state aid rules of the EC Treaty, approved an Euro 100 million R&D support measure for the EC175 programme. Paid by the French state, this sum was said to cover 29% of Eurocopter´s research and development expenditure.
On 5 December 2006, the preliminary design review (PDR) of the EC175 was completed. After that, Chinese engineers temporarily based at Marignane went home to start detailed design of their parts, based on a computer aided system connected via secure broadband networks. The critical design review (CDR) was set for the fourth quarter of 2007, with a first flight in 2009.
2007
On 21 October 2007 the first main gearbox was assembled.
Upon the acceptance of the Critical Design Review on December 5, 2007 the design was frozen.
On 21 December 2007, the gearbox was run for the first time.
2008
At 11.30 am on the opening day of Heli-Expo in Houston (February 24, 2008), Eurocopter lifted the veil off a full-scale mock-up of the EC135, introducing its 16-passenger civil product to the market. Two first launch partners were present at the unveiling ceremony. They are: Bristow Group (USA) and VIH Aviation Group (Canada). Eurocopter said that EASA certification was set for 2011. More orders were announced during the show. At the end of the three days Eurocopter claimed 111 signed intentions from 13 different customers. First deliveries were now set for 2012.
On 15 November 2008, Harbin Aviation Industry Co. (HAIG) successfully handed over the first EC175 airframe structure to Eurocopter at its factory in Harbin/China in the presence of representatives from both companies. The structure arrived at Marignane on 28 November. This was the third key milestone for the development the EC175/Z15. First flight was predicted for the end of 2009.
2009
In February 2009, the EC175 mockup was again on display on Heli-Expo in Anaheim, California.
In June 2009, Eurocopter showed a mockup ot the EC175 at the Paris Air Show.
On 15 June 2009, the first P&W engines were delivered to Marignane.
On 29 June 2009, the first tank tests were performed.
The first EC175 was handed over to flight test on 19 October 2009.
In November 2009, a mockup of the EC175 was shown at the Dubai Air show.
On 20 November 2009, the first ground runs with F-WWPB were performed.
The EC175 took off for the first time on 4 December 2009 at Marignane, with test pilot Alain di Bianca at the controls.
A formal roll-out and flight demonstration ceremony was held on 17 December 2009 at Marignane. By that time, six flights with five hours of flight time had been performed and speeds up to 140 kts reached. A second prototype will be ready for tests in France during 2010. A certification in October 2011 was targeted.

Last updated 17 December 2009

KS 09.12.2009

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