Debut Flight

Eurocopter’s EC175 medium-sized twin-engine helicopter made its maiden flight

Eurocopter’s EC175 has made its first flight. The maiden flight took place at Eurocopter’s Marignane, France headquarters facility, with company pilot Augustin Dupuis at the controls. The company has confirmed the excellent performance of this next generation multi-role helicopter.

“With this first production series aircraft now airborne, the EC175 helicopter is a reality, and Eurocopter is very pleased to bring this new product in its civil range to the market,” said Lutz Bertling, Eurocopter’s President and CEO. “This first flight is the occasion to confirm our objective to develop in cooperation with our industrial Chinese partner, AVIC, the safest and best mediumsized rotorcraft, which also is a leader in terms of competitiveness, power efficiency and comfort. Following the success of Eurocopter’s EC130 T2 and the EC145 T2, the EC175 is yet another example of our strategy to provide outstanding value to customers.”

The company has announced performance figures that ensure the EC175’s competitive edge. Its recommended cruise speed is 150 kts, 10 kts faster than the previous figure without affecting payload range, while the maximum cruise speed exceeds 165 kts, all at extremely low vibration levels.

Eurocopter’s programme flight tests till date also have confirmed the EC175’s excellent power performance including: hover out of ground effect (HOGE) at maximum take-off weight at 4,500 ft at ISA+20°C conditions; excellent one engine inoperative (OEI) hover performance, which ensures safety during hosting for search and rescue missions; extensive power reserve and helideck performance (PC1) at maximum take-off weight in ISA+20°C conditions—available with application of the latest certified version of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6C-67E engines.