EC135 Sales Success leads to new Assembly Lines in Switzerland and Spain - Brandnew Corporate Machine on Display at ILA
Eurocopter’s order book for the EC 135 stands at over 550 units as ILA opens. It is the company’s top seller and the best-selling light twin-engined helicopter worldwide. In the past couple of months, the company signed a contract with Switzerland for 18 EC635s plus two EC135s for the Armed Forces, and a framework agreement with Spain for 48 EC135 law enforcement helicopters. As part of these deals, Eurocopter agreed to set up assembly lines in the two customer countries. As of 2007, the Swiss company RUAG will assemble 16 out of the 18 EC635s, with the total Swiss order being the single-highest in terms of value placed for the EC135/635 family to date. With Spain, which has already participated in the EC135 program in the past by producing components and doing customization, cooperation will be further extended to final assembly of the EC135 at Eurocopter’s newly established Albacete facility. This step is taken in view of the large Spanish law enforcement requirement and further sales potential in that country.
Marignane, 17 May 2006
An EC135, delivered only last month to Austrian corporate customer "Flying Bulls", is on show in Eurocopter’s Static Display at ILA.
Due to a substantial upgrade, the aircraft will in future offer even more benefits to customers. Eurocopter has certified an increased take-off weight of 2,910 kg (from formerly 2,835 kg). EASA certification was granted on February 21, 2006. Deliveries of the upgraded version will start as of late September 2006. For customers operating the new variant, which is designated EC 135 T2i or P2i respectively, the benefits are evident: More payload, more performance, more range.
The increase of take-off weight is complemented by a reduction of empty weight to 1,455 kg, giving the EC135 now an exceptional empty weight ratio of 50 percent. Useful load is thereby increased by 80 kg which equals one passenger more, or more fuel allowing for 100 km more range, or 30 minutes more endurance. The useful load for IFR-equipped aircraft is up by even 90 kg. Hot & High performance has also been improved, up to an additional 180 kg hover weight and up to an additional 2,400 ft. hover altitude.
In addition, Eurocopter has further reduced direct maintenance costs of the EC 135, which now offers the lowest maintenance cost of all twins presently in production. The 50 hours and 100 hours checks were eliminated. The inspection interval for the Fenestron® tail rotor has been raised from 1,200 hours/3 years to 1,600 hours/3 years. The interval for the 800 hours inspection has been raised from every two to every three years. Today, an EC 135 is required to have its first inspection at 400 flight hours – unrivalled in its class. The company also achieved the record of 100 percent on-time and on-quality deliveries for the EC 135.
Eurocopter’s EC 135 production line is highly flexible and customer-orientated. With a choice of engines (two Turbomeca Arrius 2B2 or two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206B2), an option between fully digital or conventional cockpit equipment, a large number of certified optional equipment packages allowing for optimally customized aircraft, precise on-time deliveries, fuel efficiency, low noise emission (7 dB below ICAO limits) and superb reliability with an operational availability exceeding 98 percent, the EC 135 offers absolutely best value to customers.
Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2005, EADS generated revenues of € 34.2 billion and employed a workforce of about 113,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world’s largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the international leader in missile systems. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.
For more information, please contact:
| Jean Louis ESPES | Eurocopter |
Tel.: + 33 (0)4 42 85 95 55 Fax: + 33 (0)4 42 85 95 64 mailto: jean-louis.espes@eurocopter.com |
| Christina GOTZHEIN | Eurocopter |
Tel.: + 49 (0) 89 6000 64 88 Fax: + 49 (0) 89 6000 44 37 mailto: christina.gotzhein@eurocopter.com |
| Jesus RUIZ | Eurocopter |
Tel.: + 34 91 379 66 04 Fax: + 34 91 379 66 10 mailto: jesus.ruiz@eurocopter.com |
| Christopher BACH | Eurocopter |
Tel.: +49 (0) 906 71 45 65 Fax: +49 (0) 906 71 39 39 mailto: christopher.bach@eurocopter.com |
| www.eurocopter.com |
