Unparalleled Helicopter Investment: The H225 Super Puma at $27 Million
Priced at a staggering $27 million, the Airbus H225 Super Puma twin-engine long-range passenger transport helicopter proudly holds the title of the world’s most expensive helicopter.
Crafted under the banner of Eurocopter, this aircraft boasts an impressive capacity, comfortably accommodating up to 24 passengers aside from the crew. With its lavish and fully customizable interior, the H225 represents the latest iteration in Eurocopter’s lineage of civilian Super Puma helicopters, treating passengers to breathtaking aerial vistas.
The antecedent to the H225, the EC225 Super Puma, was a creation of Airbus Helicopters, tailored specifically to cater to the opulent transportation needs of business travelers enduring extended journeys. The H225 is essentially an evolutionary continuation of its predecessor, sporting a 5-bladed main rotor and a 4-bladed tail rotor positioned on the starboard side.
The cockpit enjoys an abundance of glass for unrivaled visibility, while the fuselage sides are adorned with elegantly rounded rectangular windows. Passengers are ushered in through sliding doors, while the pilots gain access via hinged doors. The raised tail unit expedites ground clearance, and the wheeled undercarriage is designed for convenient folding. Adding to the allure, an optional cabin attendant and two additional crew members can be accommodated, expanding the guest capacity by another 24 individuals. This arrangement can be tailored to the desires of the purchaser, ensuring a personalized experience for every journey.
Endowed with cutting-edge electronics, the Airbus H225 Super Puma stands out for its precise autopilot capabilities. Its exceptional durability and swift cruising speed aside, the H225 can be outfitted with a variety of peripherals to fulfill diverse roles, whether it’s search and rescue operations or serving the needs of high-profile executives and leaders.
In the realm of search and rescue, the H225 shines. With a rapid takeoff sequence clocking in at under five minutes, the helicopter’s capacity to operate across a spectrum of weather conditions, including severe icing, and its extended range thanks to auxiliary fuel tanks, sets it apart for missions. The cockpit crew benefits from SAR modes encompassing search patterns and an automated transition to hover mode, with a remarkable precision of one meter from any flight attitude.
Furthermore, the H225 is primed for the most demanding of tasks – utility, aerial work, firefighting, and power line maintenance – all thanks to its outstanding lifting prowess, endurance, and maneuverability. Equipped with a state-of-the-art vehicle monitoring system, pilots can focus on their mission as real-time power margin data is constantly relayed. Even when transporting sling loads, the 4-axis autopilot maintains impeccable precision and stability.
This adaptability extends to the passenger area, where the H225 can pamper up to 20 travelers in unparalleled comfort. Its attributes have garnered it favor among heads of state and government officials, thanks to its remarkable cruising speed, minimal sound and vibration levels, and capacious cabin space.
Propelled by 2 Turbomeca Makila 2A1 turboshaft engines, each boasting 2,382 horsepower, the H225 can achieve a top speed of 275.5 km/h. It maintains a cruising speed of 260.5 km/h, an impressive range of 857 km, and a service ceiling of 5,900 meters. Notably, its rate of climb reaches an impressive 8.7 meters per second.
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