EH Industries is aiming to boost sales of its EH101 Heliliner, the civil variant of the Anglo-Italian medium lift helicopter, following successful completion of a trial with operator British International Helicopters (Brintel).
Just one civil version has been delivered so far, to Japan's Tokyo police, compared with almost 100 military deliveries.
Brintel is evaluating the aircraft as part of plans to replace two Sikorsky S-61Ns. But the EH101 will need to compete with rivals including Sikorsky's S-92, and Eurocopter's Super Puma Mk2 and the Mk3 when it becomes available.
Brintel runs an established helicopter service between Penzance, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly.
The three-engined EH101 is a joint venture between GKN Westland and Agusta, designed to carry up to 35 passengers. The craft has a range of 460nm at a cruise speed of 150k.
Two EH101s are currently involved in a 6,000-hour flight programme designed to prove the helicopter's reliability and maintainability and to establish the support and maintenance regimes necessary for when the aircraft enters service.
Source: Flight Daily News
