Airbus Helicopters to unveil H160 VIP cabin design

After one year of absence, Airbus Helicopters (Booth N060) is back at EBACE to promote the in-developmentH160 medium twin. The airframer is now accepting letters of intent. In the VIP and corporate segment, Airbus claims a 33 percent market share.

A design contest was launched for the H160's corporate/VIP cabin interior (four-to-eight seats). The winner will be announced here. Four designers, including Airbus Helicopters' own style bureau, participated. “The H160 has very modern exterior lines, and the designers were asked to keep this modernity, while retaining the codes of luxury and comfort,” Frédéric Lemos, senior v-p, private and business aviation market development, explained toAIN. Show attendees will be able to “see” the winning interior by using virtual reality goggles.

“The VIP/corporate market segment is the third one for us in value – it accounted for 349 sales over the 2011-2015 period,” Lemos said. In 2015, 69 percent of the 61 deliveries came from the U.S. and Europe. After the current slow period picks up steam, Lemos anticipates sales in Brazil and China will accelerate in 2017-2018.

Airbus claims the top spot for the category above 1.5 metric tons (3,300 lbs). Overall, Lemos admits to be second to Robinson Helicopter. Only two Airbus H120 light singles were delivered in 2015, to be compared to 117 Robinson R66s.

The first pair of super-medium H175s are to be handed over, the first in June and the second by the end of the year. The cabin interiors for the H175's executive and VIP versions were created by Pegasus Design and introduced at EBACE 2013. A total of four are on order.

Special attention was given to soundproofing, and one key objective was to make a conversation comfortable without headsets. The first two H175s are therefore being delivered without passenger headsets, Lemos emphasized. Airbus is following the same philosophy on the H160.

Another trend in cabin equipment is that hard-mounted video displays are increasingly being replaced by the passenger's device – smartphone, tablet etc. It can connect to the cabin management system for controlling mood lighting and receiving information such as flight duration, positioning etc.

Deliveries of the new H145 Mercedes Benz Style light twin began last year. The H145 is well suited to large yachts, Lemos said. It is compact and can be easily reconfigured – seats can be removed to make room for cargo.

Source: ainonline.com