The European aerospace giant, Airbus, is not only known for its line of commercial and military aircraft; the Helicopter Division at Airbus produces state-of-the-art helicopters for civil, military, and corporate use. Airbus helicopters are used in various special services missions, including search and rescue operations, ambulance services, and humanitarian aid.

The manufacturer offers a wide range of products that meet customers' requirements, including one of the world's largest-range civilian helicopters. The company also offers helicopter care services (HCare), designed to provide warranty, maintenance, and overhaul services. According to Airbus,

"Airbus strives to provide the most efficient helicopter solutions to its customers who serve, protect, save lives and safely carry passengers in demanding environments. Its helicopters are in service across more than 150 countries worldwide, performing nearly every type of vertical flight task imaginable. The company’s product line offers the full spectrum of rotary-wing aircraft solutions for civil, government, military, law enforcement and parapublic uses."

The manufacturer is working on a new concept for helicopters called RACER (Rapid and Cost-Effective Rotorcraft) to disrupt the future of the helicopter industry. Airbus aims to bring high speed and efficiency to the rotorcraft market, pushing the boundaries of vertical flight.

This article digs deeper into the history of Airbus' helicopter division with some insights into its civilian and military offerings.

Through mergers and acquisitions

The first thing that you 'need to know' is that Airbus' helicopter division wasn't built from the ground up. Rather, this division comes through a series of mergers and groupings. While there is a great deal of history that exists even before the 1990s, one essential part of Airbus' present-day helicopter division began on January 1st, 1992. On this day, the helicopter divisions of Aerospatiale (France) and MBB (Germany) merged to form the Eurocopter group.

1992 was a big year for this newly formed group as it also grew to include Aerospatiale Helicopter Australia (to become Eurocopter International Pacific, and then Australian Aerospace in 2002) and American Eurocopter (a result of a merger between the Aerospatiale Helicopter Corporation and the MBB Helicopter Corporation). 1992 also saw the founding of Eurocopter Service Japan (later renamed Eurocopter Japan in 2005).

In 2000, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) would be formed. This newly formed legal entity would include 100% of Eurocopter and 80% of Airbus Industrie. In 2014, EADS would be renamed the Airbus Group with its Eurocopter division renamed "Airbus Helicopters." The man who confirmed the branding change at the time was Eurocopter CEO Guillaume Faury, who is now the CEO of the Airbus Group.

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The sub-divisions of Airbus Helicopters

Airbus Helicopters is divided into four sub-divisions:

• Civil
• Military
• ACH (Airbus Corporate Helicopters)
• and Pre-Owned

Of course, ACH is an adaptation of its civil helicopters, just as Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) adapts commercial Airbus jets for private use. Largely self-explanatory, the company's pre-owned division manages the re-sale and leasing of used helicopters.

Military and civilian rotorcraft

When it comes to civilian helicopters, Airbus has ten different models, which are divided into five categories (intermediate single, light twin, medium, super medium, and heavy). At the light, single-engine end, the H125 and H130 are used for roles such as firefighting, law enforcement, passenger transport, sightseeing, and VIP duties, as well as medical airlift and surveillance missions.

At the heavy end are the H215 and H225. These vehicles are also used for firefighting, passenger transport, and law enforcement. However, their increased size and power allow for larger payloads and more passengers with the ability to travel longer distances.

Interested in similar technical content? Check out our complete guides section.

In operation with over 100 armed forces worldwide, Airbus' military helicopters are also offered in a wide range of sizes and capabilities, used in everything from troop transport to surveillance, reconnaissance, and attack.

At the end of the day, Airbus Helicopters is just one part of the much, much larger Airbus Group. But if you are ever lucky enough to take an aerial tour of a city by helicopter or unlucky enough to require a search and rescue service, you might just be carried away by an Airbus helicopter!

Have you ever flown on an Airbus helicopter? Share your experience in the comments section.

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  Airbus

  Stock Code:

  AIR

  Date Founded:

  1970-12-18

  CEO:

  Guillaume Faury

  Headquarters Location:

  Toulouse, France

  Key Product Lines:

  Airbus A220, Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Airbus A380

  Business Type:

  Planemaker