The prototype of the five-bladed Airbus H145 has just arrived in Chile where the aircraft will start a high altitude flight campaign.
EASA certification is expected in early 2020, with deliveries following later that year.
The new H145 is ready to take on the Andes, with altitudes up to 20,000 feet above sea level, after having already performed some altitude tests in the French Pyrenees during the summer of 2018.
The objective of this campaign is to expand the flight envelope of the new helicopter and demonstrate its capabilities at high altitudes, the company says.
The H145’s new five-bladed rotor brings a significant increase in overall performance, with a maximum take-off weight raised to 3,800 kg and a useful load now equivalent to the aircraft’s empty weight.
The reduced rotor diameter will allow the H145 to operate in more confined areas.