Charles D'Alberto Blog: airbus

Marignane - Airbus Helicopters has partnered with Thales and Helisim to develop and deploy the full flight simulator (FFS) for the H160. In line with the “born ready” strategy implemented by the H160 since the beginning of its development, the FFS will be available to support the H160’s entry into service.
This partnership between experienced and recognized companies will offer to future H160 operators a complete range of training services based on a level D FFS using Airbus Helicopters’ Simulation Package “Expertise”.

“This partnership is an essential milestone in the H160 program and key to meeting the needs of our customers in order to prepare the smooth introduction of H160 into their operations” explained Bernard Fujarski, head of the H160 Program at Airbus Helicopters, “The first FFS will be installed at the Helisim simulation centre in Marignane, France and additional simulators will be deployed worldwide in line with market needs” he added.
Helisim has been the world’s foremost simulation centre for Airbus Helicopters platforms for more than 15 years.

The new generation 5.5 to 6-tonne twin-engine H160 helicopter will be tailored for a wide range of applications, including oil & gas operations, emergency medical services, public service, and private and business aviation.

To accompany the innovative H160 design, the FFS will be based on the Thales Reality H series, the most advanced helicopter training simulator on the market. Reality H is perfectly suited to respond to the training needs of the H160, as it produces the most vivid synthetic environments of any civilian based training scenarios and is fast becoming a mainstay for all type of mission-readiness within training centres around the world.

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 61,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of €13 billion in 2014. With over 20,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its unique international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.

About Helisim

Helisim is a Joint Venture between Airbus Helicopters, Thales and DCI providing high-end simulation services for pilots. Helisim is the world’s foremost simulation centre for Airbus Helicopters platforms, operating 24/7 with over 135000 cumulated flight hours, since its creation in 2000, and over 3000 pilots trained every year.

About Airbus Helicopters

Airbus Helicopters is a division of Airbus Group. The company provides the most efficient civil and military helicopter solutions to its customers who serve, protect, save lives and safely carry passengers in highly demanding environments. Flying more than 3 million flight hours per year, the company’s in-service fleet includes some 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in 152 countries. Airbus Helicopters employs more than 23,000 people worldwide and in 2014 generated revenues of 6.5 billion Euros. In line with the company’s new identity, fully integrated into Airbus Group, Airbus Helicopters has renamed its product range replacing the former “EC” designation with an “H”.
» www.airbushelicopters.com

Posted By Charles D'Alberto

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Wednesday, February 3, 2016

One man was killed after an explosion blew a hole in a passenger plane, forcing an emergency landing - Charles D'Alberto

A hole seen Tuesday in a plane operated by Daallo Airlines on the

runway of the airport in Mogadishu, Somalia.

MOGADISHU, Somalia — A man was killed in an explosion on an Airbus A321 that made a hole in the fuselage and forced the plane to return to the Somali capital of Mogadishu to make an emergency landing, officials said on Wednesday.

Somalia's civil aviation director, Abdiwahid Omar, told the state radio website that a person was missing after the Daallo Airlines plane landed on Tuesday and that the body had been found.

"The investigation goes on," Omar said, without mentioning any explosion or what had forced the plane to return except to say there was a "sudden defect" reported by the captain.

Local authorities in the Balcad area, about 30 kilometers north of Mogadishu, said the body of a man, believed to have been sucked out of the plane, was found in the area.

A police officer at Mogadishu airport said, "The dead body of the passenger is being transported to Mogadishu." The officer, who asked not to be named, told Reuters the man was about 55 years old.

"He dropped when the explosion occurred in the plane," he said.

Daallo Airlines said on its Facebook page on Tuesday that the plane, operated by Hermes Airlines, took off from Mogadishu and was bound for Djibouti with 74 passengers on board before it "experienced an incident" that forced it to return.

It had said all the passengers were evacuated safely. The airline had no immediate additional comment on Wednesday.

A gaping hole in the commercial airliner forced it to make an emergency landing at Mogadishu's international airport late Tuesday, officials and witnesses said.

Mohamed Hussein, an agent for Daallo, had told Reuters on Tuesday that a "fire had exploded" and two passengers were slightly wounded.

The aviation website http://www.airlive.net said witnesses heard a loud bang. Images of the plane showed a hole in the fuselage over one of the wings.

Daallo flies to several destinations in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, its website showed.

Posted By Charles D'Alberto

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Friday, January 29, 2016

Airbus patents designs for convertible plane - Charles D'Alberto

AIRBUS PATENTS DESIGNS FOR CONVERTIBLE PLANE

After two years of scrupulous research, the United States Patent and Trademark Office accepted a patent for one of the strangest designs we've seen for a plane. Airbus's 'convertible' plane designs show a detachable cabin, which would allow passengers to board quickly before being attached to the rest of the aircraft.

In a business that's all about timing, the newly patented designs could allow airlines to cut turn around times considerably. The detachable cabin would be removed from the roof with the help of a specialized crane, allowing boarding and disembarkment to happen in record time. The cabin full of arriving passengers would be extracted and replaced by another, already full of people going in the other direction. Speedy.

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Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Airbus Helicopters' second H160 prototype takes off - Charles D'Alberto

Airbus Helicopters’ second H160 prototype is the first H160 to fly

with the Turbomeca Arrano engines. Airbus Helicopters Photo

The H160’s second prototype recently took off in Marignane, kicking off a busy 2016 for the H160 as it pursues its flight test program with two prototypes.

The second prototype is the first H160 to fly with the Turbomeca Arrano engines. PT1 had accumulated more than 75 hours of flight testing by the end of 2015, allowing the aircraft to open the flight envelope and validating some of the helicopter’s excellent features and outstanding handling qualities right from the start.

“After a very busy year 2015 in terms of flight activities, introducing PT2 is an important step in the H160 development as we will launch performance testing with the Turbomeca Arrano engines,” said Bernard Fujarski, head of the H160 Program. “The development program will benefit from five development aircraft; two helicopter zeros and three flying prototypes will be paving the way to entry into service in 2018,” he added.

2016 will be an equally active year for the H160 with the beginning of its commercialization and many other milestones in helicopter development, industrialization and preparation of support activities in order to bring a fully mature helicopter to the market.

Charles D'Alberto