By TTA Blog
TTA Delivers with Effective, Efficient, Safe Solutions Ensuring Safety and Airworthiness of Rotorcraft
In this ongoing series, Thrust Tech Accessories (TTA) highlights the many different aircraft types presently in service around the world. Join us as we explore the roles they play in the industries they serve and the challenges they may see in performing their important duties day-by-day, year-after-year, all across the globe. We also wish to underscore the key role that MROs like TTA play behind-the-scenes in providing maintenance, repair, and overhaul of engines and airframe accessory components that keep such aircraft flying properly, safely, and long into the future.
MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 – Airbus H145 Plays an Important Role in Keeping the World Safe
DOM Magazine contributor Mario Pieroban put it best in his article entitled “Helicopter Maintenance” (Feb. 2022): “It is often said that helicopters defy gravity, their versatility is such that there are perhaps countless roles they can fulfill, and certainly the response readiness they enable is unparalleled.”
And we at Thrust Tech Accessories couldn’t agree more – especially in light of the recent historic and catastrophic flooding across the northeast U.S. and Canada. In fact, the dangerous floodwaters in Vermont were so bad that many of the 120 people who had to be rescued from flooded cars and homes could only be reached by helicopters.
Pieroban continued, “Indeed, if helicopters can provide their utility, this is also thanks to an effectively running after-sales industry in which maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provide a fundamental role.”
Let’s take a closer look at one specific workhorse of the rotorcraft world, the Mighty MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 – Airbus H14.
The History and Function
This rotorcraft is a twin-engine light utility-transport helicopter. Why is the name so long? It was jointly developed and manufactured by two different aviation manufacturers, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) of Germany and Kawasaki of Japan. MBB was later purchased by Daimler-Benz and eventually became a part of Eurocopter, which was later rebranded as Airbus Helicopters. The H145/BK117 can be purchased for about $1.3 million from Airbus as an H145.
In early 1977, MBB and Kawasaki signed a cooperative agreement to abandon their independent efforts to design twin-engine general-purpose helicopters in favor of a collaborative venture to develop a new rotorcraft for that role. While the program’s costs were shared equally, the workshare was divided into certain areas of the design. MBB utilized their expertise with the rigid rotor system to develop the majority of the dynamic systems and flight controls, while Kawasaki focused on the airframe, structural elements, and various other components.
Later that same year, the program received a huge boost when the government of West Germany announced that it would fund half of the costs of development. On June 13, 1979, MBB’s flying prototype conducted its maiden flight at Ottobrunn, Bavaria, Germany; months later, it was followed by the Kawasaki prototype at Gifu, Chūbu region, Japan on August 10 1979.
Each company established its own final assembly line, producing the BK117 for their respective regions. The BK117 has proven to be popular for passenger services and VIP-transport, the cabin can be outfitted with various seating configurations, between seven and 10 passengers. It is also used for a diverse range of operations, such as aerial crane and sling work, law enforcement, firefighting, military transport, air ambulance, news collection, cargo transport, disaster relief, and search and rescue.
During the 1990s, due to its popularity, a refined derivative, initially marketed as the BK117C-2 before being rebranded as the Eurocopter EC145 and later as the Airbus H145, was developed from the BK117C-1 version; this improved version of the rotorcraft has since succeeded the original BK117 in production
Primary Users of This aircraft
- DRF, based in Filderstadt, Germany and they are part of the German rescue service and conduct air rescue missions in a non-commercial capacity.
- ADAC Air Rescue, (a subsidiary of ADAS, based in Munich, which is Europe’s largest automobile association) operates the largest fleet of Airbus H145 ambulance helicopters in Germany.
What exactly is Air Rescue?
Air Rescue otherwise known as Air Medical Services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of medical care, especially pre-hospital, emergency, and critical care to patients during aeromedical evacuation and rescue operations. Certainly, the BK117’s speed has a lot to do to its popularity in conducting such missions, as it has a maximum speed of 275kph (148 knots/hr) and a range of 660km (410 miles).
Recent Update by Kawasaki
On December 27, 2022, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced delivery of its H145//BK117 D-3 helicopter (“D-3”) to Central Helicopter Service, Ltd. This is the second D-3 delivered to the same company, and with the first D-3 it is intended for use in emergency medical services. Kawasaki has delivered six D-3s thus far.
The D-3 is an improved version of the former model, BK117 D-2 (“D-2”). It inherited the traditional advantage of the BK117 series such as large cabin space with a full flat floor, versatile and large rear clam-shell doors, improved high-altitude hovering performance, lower noise, and the state-of-the-art avionics, while improving performance by the adoption of new features such as the latest main rotor system (five-blade main rotor).
They also announced a reduction of maintenance period of approximately 50 percent: A contribution of fewer inspection items and intervals, the adoption of a modern, easy-to-maintain main rotor system.
According to Airbus, “The best-selling H145 family (BK117, EC145 and the H145) has close to 1,500 helicopters in service around the world and has clocked more than six million flight hours.”
About Thrust Tech Accessories
One of the most in demand part on this airframe serviced by TTA is the hydraulic pump (PN: 40165/ALT: AP05VC-70). Our capabilities include testing, repair service, overhaul service, and of course fast turn-around times.
Thrust Tech Accessories supports a number of regional airlines across the U.S., along with overseas air carriers and rotorcraft operators in numerous countries around the globe. To find out more about TTA’s wide-ranging capabilities to support your fleet and to obtain competitive program bids, contact us via email at TTAsales@TrustTech.com or by calling 954-984-0450.
Please feel free to review other articles in our series, including the mission of crop dusters and other specialty type aircraft including Kodiak and Pilatus models.
PHOTO CREDIT: Paul Cuad
