Eurocopter has released enhanced performance specifications for its EC175 medium utility helicopter, due to begin deliveries later this year.
Under the revised specs, Eurocopter upped the baseline payload/radius of action capacity to 16 passengers at 135 nautical miles, a 30 per cent increase over the initial performance baseline. For longer range missions, the EC175 will be able to carry 12 passenger to a radius of action of 190 nautical miles, Eurocopter said.
The company said it has also launched an 18 passenger configuration rated to a radius of 100 nautical miles.
The seven tonne class EC175 was launched in early December 2005 to fill the gap between Eurocopter’s AS365 Dauphin and AS332/EC225 Super Puma, and is aimed at the oil and gas industry for offshore platform transfer work. Development work is split equally between Eurocopter and China’s Aeronautics Industries Group Corporation (AVIC), with Eurocopter to manufacture it as the EC175 at Marignane, and AVIC to build it as the Z15.
The European version is powered by twin Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67E engines with dual-channel FADEC.
Eurocopter hopes to sell 800 EC175s over 20 years, with deliveries slated to begin in late 2012.
