Rotorcraft
TOP FLIGHT AWARDS NOMINEES: Rotorcraft
The Rotorcraft category saw two new helicopters introduced during the Top Flight Awards time period.

Airbus Helicopters H160

Innovation: The new Airbus H160 medium twin incorporates a variety of new technologies, including “Blue Edge” active tracking main rotor blades in a five-blade system with a double-sweep design that reduces noise and improves ride smoothness; new Safran Arrano engines that offer 10 to 15 percent better fuel consumption; and the Helionix avionics system with four large touchscreens, the architecture of which already is flying on other Airbus twins.

The H160 also represents the catalyst through which the European company is trying to transform the way it makes and supports helicopters. The final assembly line in Merignane in the south of France integrates five major component assemblies that are completed and tested before they reach the line. The flow is automated and moves down two production lines, each with several workstations capable of assembling the various H160 configurations. Airbus intends to ramp up to 50 helicopters per year.

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