Operators like the AS350's performance and its ability to do a variety of
missions. They still want Eurocopter and Turbomeca to do a better job on product
support. And some worry about its hydraulics system.
By Ernie Stephens and James T. McKenna
In Eurocopter's AS350, operators find an aircraft that can perform a
great variety of missions, carry a multitude of equipment for them, and provide
significant power in the process, even during hot and high conditions.
Like many helicopters today, it holds its value well on the used market.
However, some find the light single's transition from hover to landing
can be tricky. Others fret about its flight characteristics when the hydraulic
boost on its flight controls fail. And few people are happy about the customer
support from Eurocopter and its main engine supplier, Turbomeca, although that
seems to be changing -- at least for Eurocopter.
Those are among the findings of this newest special feature, Rotor &
Wing's Operators' Report on the family of aircraft known as the Ecureuil,
Squirrel, and, perhaps, most commonly, the AStar. This is the first in an
ongoing series of reports focusing on particular aircraft types or families.
Our objective with these reports is to provide a comprehensive picture of
the rotorcraft in service today by talking with those who know them best: their
owners, operators, pilots, and mechanics. We'll share their thoughts on the
type's pluses and minuses, its utility and customer support, the modifications
available for it, and the plans and options available to improve it from its
manufacturer, major component makers, and outside vendors. We want to give you a
clear picture of what it is like and what it costs to operate the type and its
various models.
To sum up the results of this, our first Operators' Report, operators
consider the AS350 a great little aircraft.
You can find out more about the origin of the AStar in a separate story
on page A6 ("An Alouette Successor. . ."). Here, meet the AS350, with the B2 as
an introduction.
Like the other models, the AS350B2 runs 42.45 ft (12.94 m) from main-
rotor tip to the upper tip of the vertical stabilizer. From nose to tail, the
airframe is 35.86 ft (10.93 m) long. The top of the Starflex main-rotor hub is a
half an inch shy of 11 ft tall (3.34 m). Standard skids put the belly just under
2 ft (0.59 m) off the deck. Those skids are 7.48 ft (2.28 m) wide; the exterior
of the cabin is 6.14 ft (1.87 m) wide.
Inside, the passenger compartment is 5.41 ft (1.65 m) wide and 6.56 ft.
(2 m) deep. The section behind the pilot's seat is 2.95 ft deep. The cabin is
4.26 ft (1.3 m) tall at its highest point. Three cargo compartments -- a large
port-side one, a smaller starboard one, and one at the rear -- provide 35.3 cu
ft (1 cu m) of space; the rear compartment is biggest, at 19.95 cu ft (0.565 cu
m).
The aircraft is designed to carry one pilot and five passengers in a
standard configuration. It can be set up in a "comfort" version that seats 4-5
passengers or a high-density one that seats six. In its medevac version, it is
set up to carry one pilot and two medical crewmembers, plus a patient on a
stretcher. Set up to fly cargo, it has 105.9 cu ft (3 cu m) of cargo space,
according to Eurocopter.
The B2 standard fuel tank carries 143 gal (540 l) of fuel; an optional
auxiliary tank can carry 125 gal (475 l).
Current-production B2s incorporate the Vehicle and Engine Multifunction
Display (VEMD) developed for the B3. The dual-LCD screen replaces dedicated
indicators and allows the pilot to see at a glance the main parameters of the
aircraft and engine. The ability to download data recorded by that display
system allows an operator to comply with the European Joint Aviation Authorities
JAR OPS 3 requirements.
Eurocopter also has upgraded new B2s by replacing their electrical fuse
circuit-breaker unit on the EC130B4.
The AStar's three composite, main-rotor blades are mounted to the
Starflex rotor head with spherical thrust bearings. That head makes extensive
use of composites to improve corrosion performance (Eurocopter calls it
"corrosion immunity"), impact resistance, and servicing. The tail rotor uses a
flexible, glass-fiber beam for pitch changes. It has no bearing, requires no
lubrication, and is an on-condition maintenance item, according to Eurocopter.
Standard avionics on the current-production AS350B2 and B3 include the
Thales H321EHM gyroscopic horizon indicator, the AIM 205-1BL directional gyro,
the UI 9560 turn-and-bank indicator, the Honeywell KX165A
VHF/VOR/localizer/glideslope indicator, the Shadin 8800T altitude-encoding
transponder, and the Kannad 121AF-H emergency locator transmitter. The standard
avionics also includes Garmin's GI106A course-deviation indicator, GNS430
VHF/VOR/localizer/glideslope indicator/Global Positioning System receiver,
GTX327 Mode A and C transponder, and GMA340H intercom.
According to HeliValue$'s The Official Helicopter Blue Book, an equipped
2007 B2 lists for about $1.8 million and an equipped B3 for $2.425 million.
"Equipped" for the B2 means a navigation/communications suite, transponder, dual
controls, heater, and flight instruments, The Blue Book says. For the B3, the
price rises $400,000 if the equipment includes IFR equipment and certification.
Used AStar prices range from $259,000 for high-time, older models to
almost $2 million for low-time recent models.
The AStar's closest competitors are the Bell Helicopter 206-series and
the MD Helicopters MD-500.
Operators like the AS350's performance.
"It's able to meet many different kinds of missions for different
operators and under different conditions," said Xavier de la Servette,
Eurocopter's head of light helicopter programs, which include the AS350. That
versatility and performance are key. "They are investing in our product to sell
services or perform critical missions."
The operators we spoke with agreed.
A representative of the U.S. Homeland Security Dept. involved in the
operation of about 35 AS350s said the aircraft perform well. One EMS operator
with two B2s and one B3 described the AStars as "fast and smooth" and found the
aircraft's quick start-ups and shutdowns "helpful in EMS operations."
A power company in the U.S. Southwest with a B2 and B3 said the aircraft
had "lots of power, the B3 in particular." A law-enforcement agency that flies
AS350B2s in the same region agreed. An EMS operator in the central United States
with four B3s said the aircraft have plenty of power. "We love it, period." An
EMS operator in the U.S. Southeast said, "The B3 is very powerful."
Operators particularly like the aircraft's performance at high altitudes
and under hot conditions. One law-enforcement operator who flies six AS350B3s in
response areas up to 11,000 ft msl noted the aircraft's power at those high
elevations.
De la Servette explained that the AS350's mission sets are split among
ones that are generally classed as utility (50 percent), para-public (25
percent), and passenger transport, VIP, and corporate (25 percent).
In the utility area, he said, "I think we really have the lead aircraft.
The B3 is the most powerful aircraft in the category, especially in high and hot
conditions." He said the aircraft can carry 3,080 lb (1,400 kg) on a hook. "You
can link that to firefighting, hoisting, lots of different missions that need
the capacity to carry heavy loads high and hot."
He pointed to Eurocopter's feat of flying a stripped-down B3 to land on
the peak of Mount Everest -- although the aircraft was only stripped down,
company officials said at the time, as far as a commercial or para-public
operator might strip it down. The structure, flight controls, and powerplant
weren't changed from the production configuration (though the pilot was given
some leeway on engine margins. He also pared his own weight for the flight.)
In the law enforcement arena, de la Servette said, the AStar "is able to
transport a lot of equipment -- flir, radios, searchlight, rappelling kits. That
gives police forces the flexibility to be able to go on missions without
reconfiguring the aircraft."
Most operators we spoke with agreed. A few did not.
An official of one law-enforcement operator with three B3s and a fourth
on order said the aircraft "can't carry quite as much as we had hoped with all
of our mission equipment." That can be as much an issue of the agency specifying
the equipment as the aircraft's performance.
An official of another law-enforcement operator that flies a few AS350As
and several B2s said the B2s don't have enough power "to carry full fuel on long
missions" in temperatures of 100-110F (38-43C).
Some AS350s are used exclusively for passenger transport, de la Servette
said, noting that the B2 was "the king of tour operations" until Eurocopter
introduced the latest member of the Ecureuil family, the EC130. "That has become
the leading aircraft for tours."
The aircraft share the same flat floor and good visibility from every
seat in the cabin. Eurocopter designed the EC130 to comply with more stringent
noise restrictions in and around U.S. national parks, like the Grand Canyon.
Several air-tour operators agreed, saying the AS350 is great for that
line of work, with an excellent field of view from the cabin, and good power,
reliability, and safety.
For corporate operators, de la Servette said, the AS350 offers good
visibility, forward-facing seats, "and the real possibility of speaking within
the cabin."
While military missions are more sensitive to power requirements and
often require twin engines, the AS550 Fennec military AStar has earned a place
in the market. Denmark and Singapore each fly it, for instance. Eurocopter is
certifying it to fire guided rockets. It already is qualified to carry TOW anti-
tank missiles.
A key appeal of the AS350, de la Servette said, is its ease of
maintenance. It is designed so that the pilot can do all checks up to the 100-hr
inspection. "That means you can do a complete week of aerial work in the bush
with only one pilot and no mechanic."
Several operators concurred.
An electronic newsgathering operator with nine aircraft considers the
aircraft "very maintenance-friendly" and "put together well." A law-enforcement
agency in the U.S. Midwest described the AS350's maintenance as great. A law-
enforcement operator with two B2s said the aircraft's maintenance access is
good, "which equals less down time."
Operators also generally like the AS350's flight characteristics,
reporting that it flies smooth for an aircraft with a three-bladed main-rotor
system. An air-tour operator with 16 AStars, a combination of As, B2s, and B3s,
called the aircraft "stable."
The EC130 is the youngest member of the Ecureuil family. The
manufacturer's policy is to incorporate improvements in new aircraft as
retrofits or production-line upgrades for older models. Therefore, for instance,
the EC130's circuit breaker panel has replaced the fuse panel on the AS350B2.
There are some issues there. One is the question of AS350 hydraulic
failures, which we treat below. Another is the nature of its transition from
hover to landing. A number of operators said the AS350 can be "shaky" or
"squirrelly" in that transition, which some said can be a drawback in EMS
operations. An official of one EMS operator with 10 AStars quipped, "That must
be where it got the name Squirrel from."
Webb said some common mistakes pilots make when an AS350's hydraulics
fail include not following the emergency procedure. "Sometimes pilots choose to
go ahead and bring the aircraft to a hover. Sometimes the pilots, perhaps
because they haven't received training, don't get the aircraft near the surface
before they get too slow."
The AS350's warnings -- a gong or horn, depending on the model, and a
light on the annunciator panel -- are triggered when pressure in the hydraulics
system falls below 30 bar. If you get those warnings in cruise, Webb said,
reduce airspeed to 40-60 kt.
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