H135
Airbus Helicopters · Germany · first flew 1994 · helicopter
The Airbus H135 (formerly Eurocopter EC135) is a light twin-engined helicopter that has become the world's benchmark emergency-services machine. In Britain it is THE air-ambulance and police helicopter.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 12.2 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Fenestron shrouded tail rotor — no exposed tail rotor blades
- Compact rounded cabin with twin engine exhausts above the rear clamshell doors
- Skid undercarriage — the standard sight on UK air-ambulance and police helipads
Look for the enclosed Fenestron fan-in-fin tail, a compact egg-shaped cabin on skids, and twin exhausts above the rear doors. If a small twin helicopter lands at a UK hospital or hovers over a motorway incident, it is very likely an H135.
Specifications
- The H135 has a length of 12.2 m (40 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.4 m (34 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 259 km/h (161 mph).
- Typical crew: 1-2 pilots.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown on 15 February 1994 and in service from 1996, the EC135 blended the Bo 105's hingeless-rotor pedigree with a quiet Fenestron tail. It was rebranded H135 in 2015 under Airbus Helicopters and remains in production, with well over a thousand delivered worldwide.
Variants
Main lines are the Pratt & Whitney-powered P-series and Safran Arrius-powered T-series, culminating in today's H135 with Helionix avionics. The military trainer/light-attack derivative is the H135M (formerly EC635), and the stretched H145 is its larger sibling.
Where you'll see it
The H135 is the staple of UK helicopter emergency medical services — most English, Scottish and Welsh air-ambulance charities fly it — and it forms the backbone of the National Police Air Service fleet. It also trained all UK military helicopter pilots as the Juno HT1 with the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury.
Related aircraft
- Airbus H155 (EC155)
- Airbus Helicopters H145
- Airbus Helicopters H225M Caracal
- Eurocopter EC635
- Bell 430
- CHAIG Z-11
- IAI Panther
- MD 600N
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