The first ACH160 delivered in the world and the first Brazilian customer with Brazilian

registration PS-AXM flying over the Marginal Tietê region in São Paulo, Brazil.

Photo © Airbus Helicopters / Helibras - Disclosure.

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“We are very proud that the world's first ACH160 has been delivered here in Brazil, and look forward to seeing its distinctive and elegant silhouette flying through the skies of São Paulo, stated Jean-Luc Alfonsi, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters’ Brazilian customer centre, Helibras. “Helibras is the leader in the Brazilian turbine helicopter executive aviation segment and we are confident the ACH160 will set new standards for customers and operators wanting to make a distinctive choice in terms of safety, comfort and performance”.

 

According to data from the Brazilian General Aviation Association (ABAG), more than 2,500 airports and 1,300 heliports in Brazil use corporate aviation services via jets, turboprops, piston aircraft and helicopters. “The growing general aviation market in Brazil is crucial for increasing economic and social productivity, as well for maintaining the country's air connectivity,” emphasises Alfonsi.

 

The ACH160 is the latest member of the ACH family and the most technologically advanced helicopter in its class. It provides 20% greater volume per passenger compared to previous generation medium twin helicopters, 35% larger windows than its competitors, resulting in the brightest cabin in its category and 15% lower fuel burn than its nearest competitor.

 

The ACH160 family is designed in three versions - Line, Line with Lounge package, and Exclusive – to meet the different needs of this demanding market, with different levels of customization and unrivalled sophistication to better fit the lifestyle of each customer. The ACH160’s design, laying claim to sixty-eight new patents, sounds the clarion call for innovation outperforming expectations. This rotorcraft comes with enhanced safety features and sets a new standard for passenger comfort. Innovations include the canted Fenestron for greater useful load and a flat attitude in flight, and sound-reducing Blue Edge rotor blades for quieter operations.

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The Beluga in Summary

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The Belula had its initial development in August 1991 based on the Airbus A300, capable of transporting fuselage sections of other planes and large loads for the manufacturer Airbus located in Germany, France, United Kingdom and Spain. However, since its maximum load capacity is only 47 tons, it takes loads that are large in volume, not so much in weight.

 

Just three years later, in 1994, the first prototype rolled out in Toulouse. The first flight took place on September 13, 1994 and started the approval process, received in mid-1995 after 400 test flights. The first unit, the old prototype, went into operation at Airbus in January 1996. Delivery of the fourth unit took place in June 1998.

 

The Beluga has the same wing, engines, lower fuselage, main landing gear and cockpit as the A300. The main change is the huge fuselage, equipped with a clamshell door at the front, which forced a repositioning of the cockpit. The tail was also modified, with the use of small vertical stabilizers installed on the horizontal ones. However, the original vertical stabilizer was retained. The rudder was only on the main vertical stabilizer.

 

The Beluga fleet is controlled and managed by SATIC, a company formed in partnership between Aérospatiale and DASA. In addition to transporting parts for Airbus, SATIC also offers the plane's large volumetric capacity (1400m³) for the transport of bulky loads, which ended up justifying the introduction into service of a fifth aircraft, incorporated into the fleet in 2000.

 

A total of 5 Airbus A300-600ST Beluga were built, which are already considered as old versions. Currently, Airbus has launched the newest version of the Beluga, called the XL version, based on the A330 with new technologies, innovation and fuel efficiency. These Belugas XL are already in operation which will replace the Belugas ST in the coming years.

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* DISCLAMER:

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The aviation news website MAIS QUE VOAR (MORE THAN FLY) does not agree with Fakenews.

This publication contains content with sources from Airbus press.

 

This publication was written in Portuguese (Brazil) and automatically translated by Google robots to English. MORE THAN FLY, adopted Google technology for everyone around the world to have access to information and optimize our time and budget with translations. We ask for common sense to take into account translation errors. After all, every robot is limited and is never compared to the superiority of a human intelligence.

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