Aviationweb déjà vu                 Luchtvaart déjà vu helicopters gallery

Airbus Helicopters AS355
F-GMBA G-HEAN
OK-WIQ OO-HSN
PH-HHC PH-HHJ
PH-HHJ PH-HVH
AS365 C Dauphin II
D-HAAK D-HNHC
Airbus Helicopters AS350 B
D-HFJS D-HFSC
PH-PLA SE-HJC
D-HENA Aérospatiale AS350 B Ecureuil c/n 1781 - FJS-Helicopter Lufttransport - Bielefeld-Windelsbleiche airfield in Germany - 19 August 2007 Flugplatz Bielefeld (BFE)

The Aérospatiale AS350 B is a single-engined utility helicopter that can accommodate up to 7 passengers. Development of the AS 350 Ecureuil started in the early 70s under the Aérospatiale banner. The first flight of an AvcoLycoming LTS101-powered machine took place on 27 June 1994. The second prototype was fitted with an Arriel 1A and took to the air on 14 February 1975. Certification (with a Turboméca Arriel 1B turboshaft powerplant) was achieved on 27 October 1977. The single-engined AS 350B2, powered with a Turbomeca Arriel 1D1 engine was certified in April 1989. The helicopter divisions of MBB from Germany and Aerospatiale from France merged in January 1992 to form the Eurocopter Group. The Eurocopter AS350 B3 is a high-performance version of the AS350 series, powered by a Arriel 2B engine equipped with a single channel (DECU) Digital Engine Control Unit with a mechanical backup system. The AS350 B3, made its first flight from Marignane on 4 March 1997. Latest upgrade of the AS350 is the AS350 B3e (enhanced) version that is fitted with a Turboméca Arriel 2D engine. The AS350 B3e model was approved by the EASA on 17 June 2011 and has next to the new engine, a new interior design, tail rotor improvements and optimised optional equipment. The new console panel’s concept “Multibloc” is installed since aircraft S/N 7218. The AS350 B3e has an upgraded MTOW of 2370 kg when dual hydraulic. Over 5200 AS350 models had been delivered worldwide. The AS 350 is marketed as Ecureuil. The AS350 Ecurieul is also known Squirrel and is marketed as Esquilo in Brazil and AStar in the USA. In the USA, the AS350 is also known as SuperStar. The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the AS350 helicopters is AS50. Since March 2015, Airbus Helicopters uses “H125” as marketing designation for the AS350 B3e helicopter.

As a result of the merger between the Eurocopter parents Aérospatiale-Matra; DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) and Construcciones Aeronàuticas Sociedad Anonima (CASA) in July 2000, the Eurocopter group became a division of the new formed EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space company). Taking off into 2014, EADS was rebranded as "Airbus Group". Uniting all its activities under a single brand, its helicopter division Eurocopter was rebranded as Airbus Helicopters on 8 January 2014.

FJS-Helicopter Lufttransport GmbH was founded in 1993. Next to their homebase Flugplatz Damme in Niedersachsen, Germanby, FJS-Helicopters Lufttransport has operational bases at Schwerin-Pinnow and Neubrandenburg-Trollenhagen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The Aérospatiale Ecureuil s/n 1781 was operated as OE-KXC before it entered the German register as D-HENA in 1985. Today the D-HENA is operated by FJS-Helicopter Lufttransport GmbH. On 19 August 2007, the D-HENA was photographed during the Fly-In 2007 at Bielefeld-Windelsbleiche airfield in Germany. In July 2017, registration D-HENA was cancelled as exported to France. On 15 November 2017, the AS350 B was registered F-HDCH in France with Entre-Deux Helico / HESAS Ltd., l'aéroport de Saint-Pierre Pierrefonds.

page last updated: 21-11-2017
Copyright © Jack Wolbrink, Emmen, the Netherlands
 

  aeroplanes index   helicopters index   EC120 - H120 productionlist   Micro Light Aeroplanes   European Airfields