Safran Helicopter Engines has already built more than 10 examples of its new Arrius 2E powerplant for the Airbus Helicopters H140 as it eyes certification in support of service entry in 2028.
Offering a 10% power increase over the current Arrius 2B2+, the 700shp (521kW)-rated 2E variant incorporates a suite of enhancements to deliver the increased performance.
These include new turbine blades and casings, the latest-generation of control system hardware alongside a dual-channel FADEC, uprated bearings and other equipment capable of coping with the higher power produced, and 3D-printed parts, such as the hydro-mechanical unit – part of the fuel system.
Development of the Arrius 2E began in 2020 and the powerplant started flying on the twin-engined H140 prototype in late 2024.
“We had to completely redesign the hot section,” says Cedric Goubet, chief executive of the French propulsion specialist. “We had to do it to deliver more power.”
However, the overall architecture has not changed and it retains the same cross-section as earlier variants.
Goubet declines to speculate on the approval timeline, but says the engine needs to be certificated “a minimum of half-a-year” before the aircraft is certificated. Service entry of the H140 is set for 2028.
Safran says it now has “more than 10 engines running”, including those for ground and flight testing. “More engines will be assembled to support the flight-test campaign,” it adds.
Airbus Helicopters plans to fly a total of four prototypes for the H140’s test campaign.
Safran will not comment about the flight-test programme or the number of hours it hopes to accumulate ahead of certification.
