Eurocopter EC120 Colibri

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EC120 Colibri
HC120
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
Privately operated Russian EC120
Spanish National Police EC120

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]

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.

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]

Since 2011 the EC 120 B has been used by the traffic police in Kurdistan, Iraq.[7] In a first step new pilots are trained on gyroplanes then further trained on helicopters.[8]

Variants

  • EC-120 B Colibri: Standard designation (original designation during development was "P-120")
  • HC-120: Chinese-built variant of the EC120

Operators

Civil operators

Indian EON Aviation EC120
Swedish Jamtlands Flyg EC120

The EC120 is used by both private individuals and companies, helicopter charter and training organisations as well as law enforcement and government use.

 Canada
  • Used for law enforcement
 Iraqi Kurdistan
  • 11 EC120Bs were bought for kurdish traffic police and ambulance.[7] However,these helicopters are used for a whole varaity of tasks apart from traffic police and ambulance operations, including police operations,VIP-transport,rescue missions and military transport.

Military operators

 China
 France
  • 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.[10]
 Indonesia
 Singapore
 Spain
 Vietnam

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

Performance Avionics
Vehicle and Engine Multifunction Display (VEMD) with First Limit Indicator (FLI) fitted as standard.

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References

  1. ^ "EC120 Assembly Line". Australian Aerospace. Archived from the original on 22 August 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2007. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "HC-120 (EC-120) Helicopter". Global Security.org. Retrieved 16 April 2007. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Eurocopter
  4. ^ Defense Industry Daily
  5. ^ American Eurocopter
  6. ^ French Ministry of Defense
  7. ^ a b Kurdistan's traffic police to have helicopters, AKNews, 17 December 2011, Retrieved on 4 June 2012
  8. ^ Iraq Defence & Security Summit 2012, The Aussie Aviator, 4 April 2012, Retrieved on 4 June 2012
  9. ^ a b c d Adam Baddeley (February 2011). "The AMR Regional Air Force Directory 2011" (PDF). Asian Military Review. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  10. ^ "Handover of the 36th and final Eurocopter EC120B Colibri for training French Armed Forces pilots". Air Forces Monthly (274). Key Publishing Ltd: page 15. February 2011. ISSN 0955-7091. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |page= has extra text (help)
  11. ^ http://quocphong.baodatviet.vn/Home/QPCN/Hoan-thanh-khoa-huan-luyen-phi-cong-dieu-khien-EC120B/201211/243984.datviet

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eurocopter EC 120.
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