Airbus Helicopters, Inc.

American Eurocopter is a subsidiary of EADS North America, the United States subsidiary of EADS. American Eurocopter manufactures and markets a broad range of civil helicopters, and as of 2005 had almost a 50% share of the American market. It has its headquarters in Grand Prairie, Texas.

History

The company's history goes back to the days of the now-defunct LTV Corporation.

In 1968, Vought Helicopter Inc. (VHI), a subsidiary of LTV, built a facility at the Grand Prairie Municipal Airport in Grand Prairie, Texas for the purpose of marketing helicopters to North America built by Aérospatiale, the French helicopter manufacturer. However, six years later Aérospatiale bought out VHI and took over its own marketing; two years later it changed VHI's name to Aérospatiale Helicopter Corporation (AHC). In 1980 AHC built its current Grand Prairie facility.

In 1992, Deutsche Aerospace (Germany) and Aérospatiale merged to form Eurocopter; AHC would become American Eurocopter.

In 2004, the facility in Columbus, Mississippi was opened and in 2006, became the manufacturing facility and home for the U.S. Army's newest helicopter, the UH-72A Lakota.

US production plants

American Eurocopter produces helicopters at two production plants in the US.

• Grand Prairie, Texas
  • Grand Prairie serves as the headquarters and main facility for American Eurocopter. It is adjacent to Grand Prairie Municipal Airport.
  • Grand Prairie also serves as the Eurocopter Training facility for North America with state-of-the-art classrooms and the latest technology, full motion simulators.
• Columbus, Mississippi
  • The recently constructed Columbus plant handles the production certificate and final assembly work for the AS350 A-Star, as well repairs, upgrades and customizations of other American Eurocopter models. It is located on the Golden Triangle Regional Airport.
  • The Columbus facility is also the home of the UH-72A Lakota (military EC145), the new Army helicopter.

External links

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• American Eurocopter
• EADS North America