Eurocopter EC 145

Infobox Aircraft
name= EC 145


caption= Eurocopter EC 145 of the Rega air rescue service.
type= Medium utility helicopter
manufacturer= Eurocopter Group
designer=
first flight= 12 June 1999
introduced= 2002
retired=
status=
more users=
produced=
number built=
unit cost= US$ 5.5 million
developed from = MBB/Kawasaki BK 117
variants with their own articles= UH-72 Lakota

The Eurocopter EC 145 is a twin-engine light utility helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. Originally referred to as the "BK 117 C2", the EC 145 is based upon the BK 117 C1, which became a part of the Eurocopter line-up in 1992 when the company was formed through the merger of the Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm helicopter division of Daimler-Benz and the helicopter division of Aérospatiale-Matra. The EC 145 is a twin-engined aircraft and can carry up to 9 passengers along with 2 crew, depending on customer configuration. The helicopter is marketed for passenger transport, corporate transport, emergency medical services (EMS), search and rescue, parapublic and utility roles.

Development

The EC 145 was a joint development between Eurocopter and Kawasaki Heavy Industries with the aim of significantly increasing the cabin space and take-off weight of the BK 117 C1, and upgrading the BK117's avionics in line with the systems developed for the EC 135. Type-certificated as the BK 117 C2, the helicopter was selected by the French Defense and Civil Guard for air rescue missions in December 1997 and 32 were ordered at a cost of one billion French francs. The first BK 117 C2 completed its maiden flight at Donauwörth on 12 June 1999 and a second prototype aircraft was built at Kawasaki's plant in Gifu.

Eurocopter designated the new model as the EC 145 with the third prototype in April 2000, and safety certification was awarded by the German Luftfahrt-Bundesamt and Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau in December 2000. The EC 145 was shown at the Paris Air Show in 2001 and more civilian orders followed. Safety certification was awarded by the United States FAA in February 2002 and the helicopter was shown at the Heli-Expo event in Orlando, Florida in the same year.

Design

The EC 145 features a larger cabin space than the older BK 117 C1 helicopter with internal space increased by 46cm in length and 13cm in width, increasing cabin volume by 1.0 cubic meters (36.6 sq. ft.) to 6.0 cubic meters (213.2 sq. ft.). Other improvements over the older helicopter include an increased maximum take-off weight and increased range, achieved with improved rotor blades made of composite materials, based on the EC 135's rotors. These are combined with a hingeless rotor system with a monolithic titanium hub, and are powered by two Turboméca Arriel 1E2 turboshaft engines. The cabin can seat 8 or 9 passengers and has a level floor throughout with access from both sides and the rear of the helicopter. The all-glass cockpit consists of a Thales Avionics MEGHAS Flight Control Display System with active matrix liquid crystal displays.

The cabin arrangement allows for 1 or 2 pilots with 8 passengers in a club seating configuration, or 9 passengers in a high density seating configuration. The EMS/casualty evacuation arrangement can carry up to two stretchered patients with 3 medical staff. The helicopter can be fitted with emergency floats, rescue hoist, search light, load hook and specialist equipment for other operational requirements.

Operational History

The French Defense and Civil Guard (Sécurité Civile), French Gendarmerie and the Hesse State Police of Germany became the first operators of the EC 145 when they received initial deliveries of the helicopter in April 2002. Two of the Sécurité Civile helicopters have crashed since delivery, with one being lost during a mountain rescue operation on Mount Arbizon in the French Pyrenees on 20th July 2003 and the other crashing during a police rescue exercise near Garvarnie in the Pyrenees on 5th June 2006 with the loss of three lives. [ [http://www.policeaviationnews.com/Acrobat/PANewsJuly06.pdf Police Aviation News - Accidents & Incidents] ]

In 2006, the "UH-145", a military variant of the EC 145, was selected for the United States Army's Light Utility Helicopter Program, beating three other helicopters. The deal involves the supply of 345 helicopters, with options for additional aircraft. The total value (including service and maintenance) is approximately $3 billion. [ [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=reutersEdge&storyID=2006-07-02T115551Z_01_L01261856_RTRUKOC_0_US-ARMS-EUROCOPTER.xml&pageNumber=2&imageid=&c
] ]

The planned 345 helicopters have been designated UH-72 Lakota by the U.S. Department of Defense for the United States Army. The first UH-72A was delivered in December 2006.

Operators

;AUS
* 1 ordered by Australian Customs in March 2007 for rapid response helicopter service operating from Gove, Northern Territory and expected to be delivered in April 2008. [ [http://www.australianaerospace.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=294 Australian Aerospace News & Events - Contract Signed For One New EC 145 Helicopter] ]
* 1 in service with True North Helicopters. [ [http://www.eurocopter.com/site/docs_wsw/fichiers_communs/docs/pa-61-26-01.pdf?PHPSESSID=9141c737e5d48a72bea8abc48d1c9c27 Eurocopter - First EC 145 Delivered In The South Pacific] ]

;BEL
* 1 in service with [http://www.nhv.be/ Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (NHV)] for air ambulance duties operating from Bra-sur-Lienne. [ [http://www.baha.be/Webpages/Navigator/News/news_2006_1.htm Belgian Aviation History Association - New Helicopter For Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (NHV)] ]

;CRO
* 2 in service with [http://www.helikompanija.hr/defaultEN.asp HIKO (Heli Kompanija)] .

;FRA
* 30 in service with the French Defense and Civil Guard (Sécurité Civile) for mountain rescue duties. 32 were delivered between 2002 and 2005, but 2 have since crashed.
* 8 in service with the French Gendarmerie with another 7 ordered in 2006. [ [http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/eurocopter_ec145/ Aerospace Technology - Eurocopter EC 145 Helicopter] ]

;GER
* 2 in service with ADAC Air Rescue Service for air ambulance duties. [ [http://www.eads.com/1024/en/pressdb/archiv/2003/2003/en_20030616_ec145.html EADS N.V. - EC 145 Sets New Standards For Emergency Medical Services] ]
* 1 in service with Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht (DRF) for emergency rescue operations. [ [http://www.drf.de/ec_145.html?&L=1 DRF - Aircraft Data] ]
* 1 in service with Hessen State Police (Polizeihubschrauberstaffel Hessen). [ [http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/frnews1/FRNews02/FR020428.htm Flug Revue Online - First EC 145s Delivered] ]

;IDN
* 2 ordered by National Utility Helicopters to be used for corporate chartering services in Indonesia. [ [http://www.eads.com/1024/en/pressdb/pressdb/20070619_eurocopter_nuh_ec145.html EADS N.V. - Eurocopter South East Asia & National Utility Helicopters Sign Contract For 2 EC 145 helicopters] ]

;LTU
* 1 delivered in 2007 to the State Border Guard Service of Lithuania, to be used for border patrol and coast guard operations in the Baltic Sea. [ [http://www.eads.com/1024/en/pressdb/archiv/2006/2006/20060227_ec_lithuania.html EADS N.V. - Lithuanian Border Guard Orders Eurocopter EC 135 & EC 145] ]

;MEX
* 1 delivered in 2005 to the corporate operator Aeropersonal, for VIP use. [ [http://www.aviationnow.com/shownews/04nbaa/images/sn_nbaa04_3.pdf AviationNow - Eurocopter Mexico Sells First EC 145...] ]
* 1 in service with Transportes Aéreos Pegaso for Gulf of Mexico oilfield operations. [ [http://www.eads.com/1024/en/pressdb/archiv/2005/2005/en_20050427_mexico.html EADS N.V. - Eurocopter Delivers 400th EC135 For Offshore Operations In Mexico] ]

;NOR
* 1 in service with Norsk Luftambulanse for air ambulance duties.

;ESP
* 2 ordered by INAER to be delivered between 2007 and 2009 and will be used for emergency medical service operations. [ [http://www.eads.com/1024/en/pressdb/archiv/2006/2006/Eurocopter/20060904_ec_ec145_inaer.html EADS N.V. - The INAER Group Continues The Renewal Of Its Fleet With Nine New Eurocopter Helicopters] ]

;SWE
* 1 in service with SOS Helicopter for air ambulance duties on the island of Gotland. [ [http://www.eads.com/1024/en/pressdb/archiv/2005/2005/Eurocopter/en_20050208_gotland.imp.3.html EADS N.V. - SOS Helicopter Of Sweden Orders First EC 145 In The Scandinavian Market] ]

;SUI
* 5 in service with Rega Swiss Air Ambulance for emergency medical missions. [ [http://www.eurocopter.com/jrotor/66/rega-swiss-air.html ROTOR On Line - To Care For Patients In The Best Possible Conditions] ]

;UK
* 3 delivered in 2007 to the Metropolitan Police Air Support Unit at Loughton, Essex as replacement for the Squirrel fleet. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6268506.stm BBC News - Met Police Unveil New Helicopters] ]

;USA
* 12 operated by Air Methods, Englewood, Colorado. Air Methods' Product division has also completed EC 145 EMS aircraft for several external customers, including Air Life of Oregon, UMass, Mayo Clinic [9 News at 7am, [http://www.9news.com KUSA-TV] , Channel 9, NBC, Denver, Colorado, aired 7:00-8:00am, MST] , and Geisinger Health System.
* 4 operated by Allegheny Life Flight.
* 8 ordered by Era Helicopters in 2007 for oil and gas support in the Gulf of Mexico. [ [http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/topstories/9406.html Aviation Today - Era Orders 20 Eurocopters For Offshore, New EMS Services] ]
* 2 ordered by [http://www.flightforlife.org Flight for Life] , to replace two aging BK117 helicopters at bases in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and McHenry, Illinois.
* 5 entering service with Geisinger Life Flight to replace Eurocopter BK117 & Sikorsky S-76 helicopters in the air medical service role in central and northeastern Pennsylvania. [ [http://www.alea.org/public/press_releases/AEC-092606-Geisinger.pdf Airborne Law Enforcement Association Press Releases - Geisinger Life Flight Selects Eurocopter EC 145] ]
* 1 in service with Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, WI. Operated by Air Methods.
* 1 in service with Lee County Emergency Medical Services in Florida. [ [http://www.eurocopter.com/site/docs_wsw/fichiers_communs/docs/pa-56-08-01.pdf?PHPSESSID=fcd1293180f361a6432998e0fca8472d Eurocopter - Breaks The Bank In Las Vegas] ]
* 5 in service with Memorial Hermann Life Flight in Houston Texas.
* 3 ordered by [http://www.metrohealth.org/ The MetroHealth System] in 2007 for air ambulance services in Cleveland, Ohio. [ [http://www.eurocopterusa.com/Media/News/NewsDetail.asp?ID=455 American Eurocopter - MetroHealth To Update Metro Life Flight Fleet with Eurocopter EC 145s] ]
* 1 in service with [http://www.stanfordhospital.com/clinicsmedServices/medicalServices/lifeFlight/lifeFlight/ Stanford Life Flight] , a program affiliated with the Stanford University Medical Center and Hospital. Operated by Air Methods.
* 6 in service with [http://www.statmedevac.com/ STAT MedEvac] operating air ambulance services from Pittsburgh.
* 1 in service with Suffolk County Police Department, equipped with an extensive range of mission gear.
* 2 in service with [http://www.starflightrescue.org/ Austin/Travis County STAR Flight] which replaced EC135 helicopters for emergency medical services in Austin/Travis County, Texas. [ [http://www.starflightrescue.org/Rope%20n%20Rotors/Helicopters/Helicopters.htm STARFlight Rescue - Helicopters] ]
* 2 in service with [http://www.tulsalifeflight.com/ Tulsa Life Flight] , a US air ambulance service based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The pair replaced 2 aging BK117s in 2007 that had been in operation since 1987. Operated by Air Methods.
* 1 in service with UMASS Lifeflight, operated by the University of Massachusetts hospital in Worcester, MA.
* 345 UH-72A Lakota light utility helicopters being delivered to the United States Army. [ [http://www.eadsnorthamerica.com/800/en/breaking_news/2007%20Press%20Releases/2007_06_19_UH-72A_enters_service_US_Army_unit.html EADS North America - The UH-72A Light Utility Helicopter Enters Operational Service With The First Fully-Equipped U.S. Army Unit] ]
* 3 in service with Vanderbilt University Medical Center for its LifeFlight air ambulance service in Tennessee, operated by Air Methods. [ [http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/lifeflight/web/news/vmc_pressrelease/pr040316.htm Vanderbilt LifeFlight Press Release - Vanderbilt Integrates, Expands Transportation Services To Lebanon, Purchases Three State-Of-The-Art Helicopters] ]
* 1 to enter service with [http://www.wyomingmedicalcenter.org/ Wyoming Medical Center] in September 2008.

pecifications (EC 145)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=copter
jet or prop?=prop

ref= Eurocopter EC 145 technical data,cite web |url=http://www.eurocopter.ca/PDF/EC145tech.pdf |title=Eurocopter EC 145 Technical Data |accessdate=2007-07-17] EC 145 specs [ [http://www.eurocopterusa.com/Product/ec145/Brochures/EC145%20Technical%20Data.pdf EC 145 Technical Specs] , Eurocopter USA.]

crew=1 or 2 (pilots)
capacity=9 passengers
length main=13.03 m
length alt=42 ft 9 in
span main=11.0 m
span alt=36 ft
height main=3.45 m
height alt=11 ft 4 in
area main=95 m²
area alt=1018 ft²
empty weight main=1,792 kg
empty weight alt=3,951 lb
loaded weight main=3,585 kg
loaded weight alt=7,903 lb
useful load main=1,793 kg
useful load alt=3,953 lb
max takeoff weight main=3,585 kg
max takeoff weight alt=7,903 lb

engine (prop)=Turbomeca Arriel 1E2
type of prop= turboshafts
number of props=2
power main=550 kW
power alt=738 shp
power original=

never exceed speed main=268 km/h
never exceed speed alt=145 kt, 167 mph
max speed main=
max speed alt=
cruise speed main=246 km/h
cruise speed alt=133 kt, 153 mph
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=680 km
range alt=370 nm, 426 mi
ferry range main=855 km
ferry range alt=461 nmi, 530 mi
ceiling main=5,240 m
ceiling alt=17,200 ft
climb rate main=8.1 m/s
climb rate alt=1,600 ft/min

armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* MBB/Kawasaki BK 117
* UH-72 Lakota
* Eurocopter EC 135

similar aircraft=
* Bell 427
* Bell 429
* MD Helicopters MD Explorer
* HAL Dhruv

sequence=
* EC 120 - EC 130 - EC 135 - EC 145 - EC 155

lists=
* List of helicopters

see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.eurocopter.com/ec145/ Eurocopter EC 145]
* [http://www.eurocopterusa.com/Product/ec145/EC145.asp EC 145 page on EurocopterUSA.com]
* [http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/eurocopter_ec145/ Eurocopter EC 145 on Aerospace-Technology.com]
* [http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/Frtypen/FREC145.htm Eurocopter EC 145 on Flug Revue site]
* [http://www.rotor.com/rotor/HAIsMarketplace/AircraftSpecifications/EurocopterEC145/tabid/714/Default.aspx Eurocopter EC 145 on Helicopter Association International site]
* [http://www.rega.ch/en/rega/rettungshelikopter1.aspx?pid=040205010001 Eurocopter EC 145 on Rega.ch]