Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation receives first five-bladed Airbus H145

This new version of its H145 light twin-engine helicopter brings a new five-bladed rotor to the multi-mission helicopter, increasing the useful load by 150kg. It received certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in June and is now ready to take on a wide variety of missions.

“I would like to thank the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation for their trust in our helicopters and especially in the H145 family of helicopters. I can’t wait to see this new version in operation, contributing to the success of life-saving missions,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “Our teams have worked hard to bring this enhanced multi-mission helicopter to the market quickly.”

Increased load useful for emergency medical services

Hans Morten Lossius, Secretary General of Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, added: “We’re proud to be the first operator to use the new five-bladed H145 for our research and development projects.

“The increased useful load and the smooth flight make the new H145 the perfect choice for these purposes, which aim to further push the boundaries and enhance Helicopter Emergency Medical Services in Norway and in the whole air ambulance community.”

Certification by the Federal Aviation Administration is under review and expected soon. The certification for the military version of the five-bladed H145 will be granted in 2021. The H145 is developed jointly with Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The first delivery by the Japanese co-operation partner is scheduled for early next year.

Increased safety and decreased pilot workload

Powered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines, the H145 is equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) and the Helionix digital avionics suite. It includes a high performance 4-axis autopilot, increasing safety and reducing pilot workload. Its particularly low acoustic footprint makes the H145 the quietest helicopter in its class.

The Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, founded by Norwegian doctor Jens Moe in 1978, is the mother company and owner of the Norwegian Air Ambulance. It brought HEMS to Norway by opening a first base near Oslo, using a BO105 helicopter rented from Germany. Today, Norwegian Air Ambulance operates all 13 HEMS bases in Norway and all four bases in Denmark using a Helionix-equipped fleet of H135s and H145s. This helicopter is dedicated to support the Foundations important work to improve the HEMS operations.

Recently, Airbus delivered the first Airbus C295 aircraft purchased by the Government of Canada, boosting SAR services in the country.