Where is the research and development facility located? Airbus Helicopters is what used to be Aerospatiale and who else? MBB (Germany)? Anyone else?
I hope Leonardo are doing similar things in Britain and Italy.
Hi Yokel
The main Airbus Helicopters facilities are located at Marignane at Marseilles and Donauworth near Munich.
So this H130 Flightlab be put together at Marignane
NH90 assembly and testing is split between Donauworth and Marignane But more at Donauworth. Flight testing is carried out at Manching (Bundeswehr Flight Test center)
What used to be the old Eurocopter Deutchland (MBB) churns out the following
H145 (Ec145T2/BK117D2)
H135 (EC135T2/T3)
NH90
Marignane
H125 (AS350B3 Squirrel)
H225 (AS332L2, EC225)
H225M (EC725)
H175
H130 (EC130T2/EC130B4)
NH90
H155 (EC155B1) but not for much longer
AS365N3
AS565 Panther
Tiger
H160
Airbus Helicopters Spain In Albercete does final assembly , Flight testing for likes of NH90, Tigre and H135 destined for their military/parapublic etc.
In states Airbus Helicopters Inc (used to be American Eurocopter) is based at Grand Prairie in Texas, and assembly manufacturing in Columbus, Mississippi.
Few years back the Columbus plant got to manufacture from ground up and assemble the H125 Astar.
How it works is say an H145 gets made in Donauworth, gets shipped to Grand Praire, they then role Fit the aiframe to what customer wants and to FAA standards. 8 times out of 10,it be for the parapublic marketplace. Someone like Metro Aviation or Air Methods - both are the largest vendors / providers of EMS helicopters and fixed wing across the USA, will put their kit in supply the pilots and mechanics to the hospital or clinic they serve. Metro also kits out some airborne law enforcement helps that have EMs as secondary mission. one of their customers is Suffolk County Police Dept who fly the EC145 (my photos of their brand new ship delivered at Heli Expo 2007 in Orlando below)
Airbus Helicopters Canada in Fort Erie does same job, they get a helo manufactured either in Marignane or Donauworth take it standardise it to Transport Canada Standards etc then if need be kit it out with EMS interior supplied by Eurotec Canada or even from across the border with Air Methods or Metro.
Back to your question Leonardo has its own R& D innovation examples below
My photo Of Project zero at Paris Air Show 2013... venture for battery VTOL concept. It been in the works since 2010 in secret.
Went to Dubai Air Show 2015 and brief on the Optionally Manned RUAS which based on the SW4 airframe (Leonardo sub in Poland PZL Swidnik they bought out). If you remember this carried out trials for the Royal Navy.
www.airbus.com
