The Eurocopter EC135 is a lightweight five/seven seat twin-turbine-engine multi-role helicopter with a radius of 720 km.
The EC135 is offered with either Turbomeca Arrius 2B2 or Pratt and Whitney Canada PW206B2 engines. Development
of the Eurocopter EC135 started in the 80s as the MBB Bo.108 Advanced Technology Helicopter. The prototype BO108
with conventional tail rotor flew first on 15 October 1988. When the helicopter divisions of MBB from Germany
and Aerospatiale from France merged in January 1992 to form the Eurocopter Group, the Bo108 program was transferred
as well. An advanced low noise ducted 10-blade Fenestron tail rotor was, next to other modifications, incorporated
into the design and the name of the helicopter was changed into Eurocopter EC135. The prototype of the EC135
(D-HBOX s/n S-01) flew first on 15 February 1994 and went into series production in 1996 at Donauwörth. After
German certification was granted on 14 June 1996, was the first customer delivery on 31 July that year. Over
900 have been delivered since the helicopter entered service in 1996 with the German rescue company DRF - Deutsche
Rettungsflugwacht e.V.
Eurocopter Germany used test-registration D-HECX for the 2009-built
Eurocopter EC135 P2+ c/n 0786. On 25 March 2009, the EC135 P2+ was
registered D-HTMA in Germany with HTM - Helicopter Travel Munich. When
the aircraft was seen at Emden airfield, it was operated by HTM on
flights from and to Emden to transport people and equipment to the Alpha
Ventus offshore windfarm, 50 km north of Borkum Island. For this work,
the EC135 P2+ helicopter is equipped with emergency floats, a hoist and
a cargo hook in combination with an externally mounted load mirror.
Luchtvaart déjà vu
