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• Estimated at $740 million in direct activity and business brought to the network of some 1,000 vendors
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- American Eurocopter’s heritage
• Our first U.S. manufacturing partnership was established in 1969
- American Eurocopter’s heritage
• Our SA.313 Alouette II was the first ever light turbine helicopter to enter civil operation in the U.S. (with PHI)
- American Eurocopter’s heritage
• We have been a fully-owned U.S. helicopter manufacturer since 1974
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News > A helicopter industry milestone: the new EC175 makes its first flight
A helicopter industry milestone: the new EC175 makes its first flight
December 17, 2009
Flight testing has begun with Eurocopter’s new 7-ton-class EC175 helicopter, which has been placed on demand for use in offshore operations, charter flights and other transport duties by customers that include the U.S.-based Bristow Group, ERA Helicopters and the Halvorson Group.
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The no. 1 EC175 made its “official” first takeoff today from Eurocopter’s Marignane, France headquarters facility, initiating a flight test and certification program that will lead to the startup of deliveries in two years.
This new-generation rotary-wing aircraft is designed to complement Eurocopter’s existing product line, and is sized between the AS365 Dauphin (with an operating weight of 4-5 tons) and the AS332/EC225 Super Puma (9-11 tons).
A total of 114 EC175s intent orders have been placed by customers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; as well as from Europe, Russia, India and New Zealand. Houston, Texas-based Bristow Group was the helicopter’s launch customer, and will receive the first EC175 in 2012.
Eurocopter developed the EC175 in cooperation with the China Aeronautics Industries Group Corp. (AVIC). Under their work-sharing agreement, Eurocopter is assigned the main gear box, rear rotor, avionics, automatic flight control system, hydraulic and electrical systems, doors and transparencies; while AVIC is responsible for the helicopter’s structure, intermediate and rear gear boxes, main rotor, fuel system, flight controls and landing gear.
The project utilized a cutting-edge digital mock-up that facilitated work-sharing across the thousands of miles between its European and Chinese partners, as well as the key systems vendors. Its successful application in the design and development phases resulted in a fast-paced program with less than four years between the contract signature and first flight.
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