Airbus Helicopters H140

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Jackonicko

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Les Echoes seem to have run a feature 'Airbus breaks the secret and announces the arrival of a new civilian helicopter', and then took it down again.


There was a picture.

The 'H140' looks like an H135, but with a T-tail atop a more highly swept ‘fin’

Plus a five blade main rotor – likely to give a smoother ride

And revised jet pipes, revised rear clamshell doors and a more ‘bluff’ nose profile

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Our coverage is at:

aerospaceglobalnews.com

Is there a new Airbus helicopter model, waiting in the wings? - AGN

French news website Les Echoes briefly ran a feature ‘Airbus brise le secret et annonce l’arrivee d’un nouvel helicoptere civil' (’Airbus breaks the secret and announces the arrival of a new civilian helicopter'), but then took it down again.
aerospaceglobalnews.com aerospaceglobalnews.com
 
Seems like Airbus’ marketers are still trying to figure out this helicopter’s market positioning lol.

“Not sure this is relevant” :eek: Maybe the intern writing copy thought this could be the Luftwaffe’s new heavy transport helicopter?!
 

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H_K said:
Seems like Airbus’ marketers are still trying to figure out this helicopter’s market positioning lol.

“Not sure this is relevant” :eek: Maybe the intern writing copy thought this could be the Luftwaffe’s new heavy transport helicopter?!
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More like Luftwaffe's CSAR or medevac aircraft.
 
So its essentially just a refresh of the H135 but introducing a couple of new innovations from other products like a tail boom from the Racer, improved tilted Fenestron from military aircraft, five blade rotor from the H145 and a new more compact powerplant allowing a slight stretch of the cabin space for stretchers and VIP transport.
 
Jackonicko said:
Les Echoes seem to have run a feature 'Airbus breaks the secret and announces the arrival of a new civilian helicopter', and then took it down again.


There was a picture.

The 'H140' looks like an H135, but with a T-tail atop a more highly swept ‘fin’

Plus a five blade main rotor – likely to give a smoother ride

And revised jet pipes, revised rear clamshell doors and a more ‘bluff’ nose profile

View attachment 762422
Click to expand...

Yep I saw and sat in it, here at Verticon in Dallas so here are my photos below

IMG_2152.jpeg IMG_2153.jpeg IMG_2154.jpeg IMG_2155.jpeg IMG_2156.jpeg IMG_2157.jpeg IMG_2158.jpeg IMG_2159.jpeg IMG_2160.jpeg IMG_2161.jpeg

And thr en Maße of orders, following such as from ADAC Luftrettung, OAMTC Flugrettung, Global Medical Response, Stat Medevac and more to follow.

Cheers
 
RavenOne said:
Yep I saw and sat in it, here at Verticon in Dallas so here are my photos below

And thr en Maße of orders, following such as from ADAC Luftrettung, OAMTC Flugrettung, Global Medical Response, Stat Medevac and more to follow.

Cheers
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As always, brilliant photos. Thank you.
 
FYI, for the foreseeable future there will be no military version "Airbus Helicopters H140M", since the H135M still has a dominate role as a trainer for helicopter pilots.
"The H135M is mainly used in training operations and performs its tasks excellently, so we currently see no need for an H140M," says Dirk Petry.
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Source (German or French, and unfortunately now behind a paywall):

Airbus Helicopters hat die H140 auf der Verticon enthüllt - Aerobuzz.de

Airbus Helicopters hat heute am ersten Tag der Hubschraubermesse Verticon (11. – 13. März 2025) in Dallas im US-Bundesstaat Texas für eine echte Überraschung gesorgt. Der Hersteller hat mit der H140 einen neuen Turbinenhubschrauber vorgestellt, der auch schon geflogen ist. Bei einem Besuch im...
aerobuzz.de aerobuzz.de
 
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fightingirish said:
FYI, for the foreseeable future there will be no military version "Airbus Helicopters H140M", since the H135M still has a dominate role as a trainer for helicopter pilots.

Source (German or French, and unfortunately now behind a paywall):

Airbus Helicopters hat die H140 auf der Verticon enthüllt - Aerobuzz.de

Airbus Helicopters hat heute am ersten Tag der Hubschraubermesse Verticon (11. – 13. März 2025) in Dallas im US-Bundesstaat Texas für eine echte Überraschung gesorgt. Der Hersteller hat mit der H140 einen neuen Turbinenhubschrauber vorgestellt, der auch schon geflogen ist. Bei einem Besuch im...
aerobuzz.de aerobuzz.de
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Kinda makes sense, IMO. H140 is a bigger H135, but there's not a lot of reason to have an plus-sized trainer.

Militaries like using their full size helos for medevac.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Kinda makes sense, IMO. H140 is a bigger H135, but there's not a lot of reason to have an plus-sized trainer.
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It doesn't make sense in terms of rationalising production lines, though. I suspect H140M certification will come along fairly shortly once H135 subcontractor contracts come to an end.
 
Grey Havoc said:
I wonder how long that will hold though, given the current panic?
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Unless the H140 completely replaces the H135 on the production lines, I don't think it'll happen at all.

Militaries DO NOT WANT a big helicopter for their trainer, so the whole "H140 has a bigger cabin" doesn't sell the product.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Unless the H140 completely replaces the H135 on the production lines, I don't think it'll happen at all.

Militaries DO NOT WANT a big helicopter for their trainer, so the whole "H140 has a bigger cabin" doesn't sell the product.
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Beancounters and other bureaucrats have a logic all of their own though.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Unless the H140 completely replaces the H135 on the production lines, I don't think it'll happen at all.

Militaries DO NOT WANT a big helicopter for their trainer, so the whole "H140 has a bigger cabin" doesn't sell the product.
Click to expand...

I don't think a few extra centimetres on the cabin will cause any rejections. Training aircraft are bought on the basis of cost per flying hour over the lifetime of the program, not on the basis of smallness.

If the H135M starts to become more expensive because it needs a bespoke supply of unique, obsolete parts then it it will be less competitive than the mass-market option.
 
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Grey Havoc said:
I wonder how long that will hold though, given the current panic?
Click to expand...
Training helicopters are pernicious. Because they have one of the highest flight tempos, they hit the upward slope of the cost curve sooner than other helicopters. The cost per hour begins to rise and the "budgeteers" start to grumble. It appears that the H-135 will be replaced by either Robinson or Enstrom, or other very light (read cheap/flight hour) helicopter for the U.S. Army's Initial Entry Rotary Wing training. If the Hughes 300 (now Sikorsky owned and defunct{?}), it would not surprise me to see orange TH-55 back on the flight line.
 
yasotay said:
Training helicopters are pernicious. Because they have one of the highest flight tempos, they hit the upward slope of the cost curve sooner than other helicopters. The cost per hour begins to rise and the "budgeteers" start to grumble. It appears that the H-135 will be replaced by either Robinson or Enstrom, or other very light (read cheap/flight hour) helicopter for the U.S. Army's Initial Entry Rotary Wing training. If the Hughes 300 (now Sikorsky owned and defunct{?}), it would not surprise me to see orange TH-55 back on the flight line.
Click to expand...

Helicopter Institute has contract with US Army with Robinson R66 designated TH-66 for Initial Entry Rotary Wing

1744541045832.png

but it is not completely replacing the UH-72A, thats another program which Bell is cashing onto with Bell 505 Flight School Next Generation.

Anyway back on topic, for now Airbus Helicopters is stating no mil version H140M ...but its early day,s see what happens in a few years. time, things could change.

What i liked about the H140 (missed the actual roll out as was flying with Bell on demo that precise moment at Dallas executive Airport) it brings a new fresh(ness) to what will end up as legacy H135. I could be wrong but seeing more H145 / H145M sales in the last couple of years creeping up then H135, barring Spanish Armed Forces stick out in my mind especially with delivery to the Armada and Ejercito del Aire as trainers. OF course there is our UK National Police Air Service ordered several.

Looking at FB over the last year with the photos of H140 prototype at Donauworth , (not knowing much bar testing an elongated H135) I was not sure.

i am definitely looking forward to fly in my other neck of the woods with OAMTC Flugrettung colours and north of the border with ADAC Luftrettung and DRF.....

cheers
 
Like I said, I don't see much market for a military H140. It's a matter of what the military uses H135s for: training. You don't need a larger helo for training, and most militaries use a full size helo like an H-60 for medevac so they have space for more than 1-2 casualties.

There's nothing wrong with this, the H140 is just not the right size helo for the job the military wants done. It is too big for training, and too small for medevac.
 
It's a modern setup, as much with the rotating parts, engines than with the avionics.
It would be probably more representative of the next Gen rotorcraft than what's in use today.
 
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