Romania's aircraft manufacturing industry, dormant since , is being revived by Airbus Helicopters, which is to begin production of its legacy Super Puma models at a new facility near Brasov. The airframer currently assembles the AS L1e and C1e variants β from today redesignated as the H β at its Marignane plant in the south of France.
But from , production of the 8. Initial deliveries in will be confined to the short fuselage C1e model, with the 76cm-longer variant added from Airbus Helicopters is targeting the rotorcraft at the utility, aerial work, humanitarian assistance, and basic troop transport segments. The airframer had already began taking steps to simplify its Super Puma models, with the launch of the C1e being a step towards that goal.
The variant features a stripped-down baseline configuration and a reduction in the amount of factory-installed equipment available, while gaining the four-axis autopilot and avionics from the heavier H Production time on the C1e was already three months shorter than the 21 months required for the previous iteration, but Airbus Helicopters believes further simplification of the configuration and the new production line can cut it to 11 months in total.
It has had a presence in the central European country since , with Airbus Helicopters Romania AHR β a joint venture with state-owned aerospace company IAR β developing a successful maintenance, repair and overhaul business. The new facility will provide work for people, in addition to the employed at AHR, with an initial cadre of 23 already receiving training in Marignane. And, says Faury, the decision to build the H in Romania will "develop the supply chain and the network of companies supporting us".
It is already working to secure its local supply chain, he says, with contracts to be signed next year. He is confident that major suppliers to the programme can be encouraged to move to Brasov, including potentially engine manufacturer Turbomeca, which provides the H's twin Makila 1A1 engines. Aside from the benefits for H production, the creation of the line at Brasov will allow Airbus Helicopters to free-up valuable space at its Marignane site for the assembly of its H super medium and developmental H medium-class rotorcraft.
