Eurocopter EC120 Colibri
| EC120 Colibri HC120 |
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|---|---|
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| San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department EC120B | |
| Role | Light utility helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Eurocopter Harbin Aviation Industries |
| First flight | 9 June 1995 |
| Introduction | 1998 |
| Number built | over 550 |
| Unit cost | ~US$1.7M, €1M (November 2010) |
The Eurocopter EC120 Colibri (English: hummingbird) is a 5-seat, single-engine, single main rotor, light helicopter. Jointly designed and developed by Eurocopter, China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC), Harbin Aviation Industries (Group) Ltd (HAI) and Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd (STAero) at Eurocopter France's Marignane facility, the EC120 B is assembled by Eurocopter in France and Australia.[1] In China, the aircraft is produced by Harbin as the HC120.[2]
Eurocopter has a 61% interest in the project, with CATIC owning 24% and STAero with 15% share.[3]
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[edit] Design and development
The EC120 B is mostly built from composite materials and has a fenestron tail rotor, making it a particularly quiet helicopter (FAA Appendix J flyover noise signature = 78.7 dB SEL, 6.7 dB SEL below Stage 2 limits). Certified to FAR 27 standards, the EC120 B also features crash-resistant seats and a crash-resistant fuel system.
The design of the Colibri's wide cabin makes it suitable for wide variety of civilian and parapublic missions, such as utility transport, offshore transport, training, law enforcement, casualty evacuation and corporate transport. In the casualty evacuation role, the helicopter can carry one pilot and one stretcher patient as well as one or two medical attendants. For cargo carrying, the Colibri can carry one pilot plus 2.94 cubic meters (103.9 cu. ft.) of total useful load volume (cabin and hold). The EC120's 0.8 cubic meter (28.3 cu. ft.) hold is accessible from the side and rear.
In addition to its civilian roles, the Colibri is also used by the military for training, observation and light utility missions. In the latter role, it can carry a sling load cargo of up to 700 kg (1,543 lb).
The EC120 B is able to carry equipment such as FLIR cameras, spotlights and other useful tools. Some law enforcement agencies using the EC120 B include: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Edmonton Police Service, Calgary Police Service, the York Regional Police, and the Albuquerque Police Department.
[edit] Operational history
The first EC120 B was delivered in 1998 and by 2008, Eurocopter had already delivered more than 550 Colibris to various customers.
In 2004, the United States Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) selected the EC120 B to meet its Light Sign Cutter requirement, a program potentially involving 55 aircraft with a total value of US$ 75 million in then-year dollars.[4] In 2006, the CBP ordered 15 EC120 B helicopters, with a further 5 aircraft since ordered.[5]
In January 2008, the French Defense Ministry selected the EC120 as the French Army's new lead-in rotary-wing trainer, replacing the Aérospatiale Gazelle. 36 EC120 Bs equipped with Sagem avionics will be operated through a 22-year public-private partnership (PPP), with the first aircraft due to arrive in 2010.[6]
[edit] Variants
- EC-120 B Colibri: Standard designation (original designation during development was "P-120")
- HC-120: Chinese-built variant of the EC120
[edit] Operators
[edit] Civil operators
The EC120 is used by both private individuals and companies, helicopter charter and training organisations.
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- One in service as a newshelicopter with TV2 of Denmark.
- Two in service with EON Aviation Pvt. Ltd., Pune and Godhawat Industries, Kolhapur.
- In service with private company "Heliportugal".[7]
- Two in service with Fiskflyg AB in Porjus and Stora Sjöfallet in Northern Sweden. Both have reinforced floor to handle the large variation of loads carried.
- Three in service with Jämtlands Flyg in Östersund. Equipped for aerial work, i.e. external cargo hook.
- One in service with Barken Timmer AB
- One in service with Heli Offshore Pty Ltd. in Cape Town.
[edit] Government and Law Enforcement
- Four EC-120 are currently operated by the Highway Federal Police, Air Operations Division.
- York Regional Police – 1 EC120B
- Calgary Police Service – 1 EC120B
- Edmonton Police Service – 2 EC120B
- RCMP "E" Division – 2 EC120B shared with Vancouver Police and other Lower Mainland police forces
- Winnipeg Police Service – 1 EC120B
- One in service with the Public Security Bureau in Guandong province[8]
- Six in service with the German Federal Police to be used for pilot training.[9]
- Two in service with State Border Guard Service from 2003, used primarily for air surveillance, patrol and training.[10]
- Five in service with Federal Preventive Police.
- Seven in service with the DGT (National Traffic Authority).
- Two in service with the Cuerpo Nacional de Policía (National Police).
USA
- One in service with Albuquerque Police Department, providing airborne law enforcement support over Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- One in service with Austin Police Department.
- Four in service with the Baltimore, MD Police Department.[11]
- Two in service with the Fresno Police Department.
- One in service with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
- Three in service with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, providing airborne law enforcement support over Manatee County, Florida.
- Three in service with the Costa Mesa Police Department and Newport Beach Police Department (California) (as Airborne Law Enforcement Services), providing airborne law enforcement support over the cities of Costa Mesa, California;Newport Beach, California; and Santa Ana, California (by contract).
- Three in service with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and used by its Air Support Bureau to conduct police patrols and supporting Homeland Defense personnel in Sacramento, California.[12]
- One in service with the San José Police Department.
- Fifteen in service with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, used for low-level surveillance and security patrol of the U.S. border. Deliveries commenced in 2006 and are on-going, with another five EC120s on order.[13]
- One in service with the City of Miami Police Department.
[edit] Military operators
- People's Liberation Army Air Force: operates 26× HC-120 with another 130 on order.[14]
- French Army Light Aviation (ALAT): Total of 36 EC120B was ordered to replace the 54 SA341/342 Gazelles in the flight training role. The last EC120B was delivered on 10 October 2010 to HeliDax, a private consortium contracted by the French Army to undertake flight training for the French Army's flight training school at Dax.[15]
- Indonesian Air Force: operates 11× EC120B.[14]
- Indonesian Navy: operates 3× EC120B.[14]
- Fifteen in service with the Spanish Air Force as training helicopters.
[edit] Specifications (EC120 B)
Data from {name of first source} Eurocopter EC120 B 2008 Tech Data book
General characteristics
- Crew: 1 or 2 pilots
- Capacity: 4 passengers
- Length: 9.6 m (31 ft 5 in)
- Rotor diameter: 10.0 m (32 ft 8 in)
- Height: 3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
- Empty weight: 991 kg (2,185 lb)
- Useful load: 724 kg (1,596 lb)
- Max. takeoff weight: 1,715 kg (3,781 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Turbomeca Arrius 2F turboshaft, 376 kW (504 shp)
Performance
- Never exceed speed: 278 km/h (150 knots, 172 mph)
- Cruise speed: 223 km/h (120 knots, 138 mph)
- Range: 710 km (383 nm, 440 mi)
- Service ceiling: 5,182 m (17,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 5.84 m/s (1,150 ft/min)
Avionics
Vehicle and Engine Multifunction Display (VEMD) with First Limit Indicator (FLI) fitted as standard.
[edit] See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
[edit] References
- ^ "EC120 Assembly Line". Australian Aerospace. Archived from the original on 22 August 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070822002711/http://www.ausaero.com.au/CivilHelicopters/EC120BAssyLine/tabid/207/Default.aspx. Retrieved 16 April 2007.
- ^ "HC-120 (EC-120) Helicopter". Global Security.org. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/hc-120.htm. Retrieved 16 April 2007.
- ^ Eurocopter
- ^ Defense Industry Daily
- ^ American Eurocopter
- ^ French Ministry of Defense
- ^ http://www.heliportugal.pt/#/pt/frota/ptec120
- ^ EUROCOPTER NEWS
- ^ Eurocopter Press Release – Eurocopter Hands Over The First Of A Total Of Six EC120 Training Helicopters To The German Ministry Of The Interior
- ^ EC145 z Litwy (Polish language) in Skrzydlata Polska Nr.7/2010, p.34
- ^ http://mysite.verizon.net/vzesdp09/baltimorepolicehistorybywmhackley2/id32.html
- ^ Eurocopter Press Release – 400th EC120 Delivered To Sacramento County Sheriff's Department
- ^ Eurocopter Press Release – U.S. Customs & Border Protection Takes Delivery Of Its First EC120
- ^ a b c d Adam Baddeley (February 2011). "The AMR Regional Air Force Directory 2011". Asian Military Review. http://www.asianmilitaryreview.com/upload/201102172337151.pdf. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
- ^ "Handover of the 36th and final Eurocopter EC120B Colibri for training French Armed Forces pilots". Air Forces Monthly (Key Publishing Ltd) (Issue 274): page 15. February 2011. ISSN 09557091.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eurocopter EC120 |
- Official Eurocopter EC120 B Website
- EC120 webpage on American Eurocopter website
- UK-CAA & JAA Type Certificate Data Sheet
- Harbin Aviation Industries producer of the HC120
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