On November 11th , the Interior Senator of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Udo Nagel, officially inaugurated two new EC 135 police helicopters. They have been named Dragonfly 1 and Dragonfly 2 (German call name: Libelle 1 and Libelle 2). The two brand new Eurocopter aircraft replace the older and now-retired BO 105 helicopters of the Hamburg Police Helicopter Squadron. The EC 135 is currently the latest-technology light twin-engined helicopter in the market and best-seller in its class. Around 350 helicopters have already been delivered to customers throughout the world.
Hamburg, 11 November 2004
The Hamburg Police Squadron is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It is based at the site of the Lufthansa Repair Centre in Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel and is under the command of the emergency police force. The President of Police, Werner Jantosch, explained the wide range of duties carried out by the squadron. Aside from diverse police duties carried out in coordination with the ground forces, there is also close cooperation with the fire service. For example, the Dragonflies take rescue divers from the professional Hamburg Fire Service to the site where they are required. Hamburg’s Police Helicopter Squadron has already proved a life-saver many times in the search for injured and missing persons. The area covered is another special feature of the squadron. Missions are not restricted to the City of Hamburg, they also cover northeast Lower Saxony, the western part of Mecklenburg-Pomerania, and Schleswig-Holstein.
Police President Jantosch stated that “In view of the constantly growing requirements facing the police, we are providing our squadron with the latest helicopters fitted with equipment specifically designed for police work.”
Bert Stegkemper, General Manager of Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH, highlighted a track record of cooperation between the company and the Police Helicopter Squadron spanning more than 40 years. “When the Hamburg Police Helicopter Squadron was established on August 4th, 1964, the first helicopters purchased were AS 318 Alouette IIs from the French plant of our company. At the start of the 1980s, they were replaced by the BO 105 manufactured by Eurocopter in Germany – and these helicopters are now be supplanted by our “latest baby”, the EC 135, manufactured in Donauwörth, Bavaria. Our engineers have gained valuable experience from working with the Hamburg Police Helicopter Squadron and this knowledge has been incorporated in the latest generation of our helicopters. I should like to thank you for this contribution and for the many years of trust that you have placed in Eurocopter,” declared Stegkemper.
The twin-engine EC 135 has a maximum take-off weight of 2,835 kg, a range of 645 km and a cruising speed of 256 km/h. There is seating capacity for a pilot and six or seven passengers. Fuel economy and simple maintainability provide unparalleled reliability and extremely economic operation. Equipment specifically designed for police work includes a thermal imaging camera, GPS, SatCOM, digital map guide, SX16 searchlight and rescue winch. A digital flight management system allows the helicopter to systematically fly over grid squares.
The sustained success of the EC 135 and its unrivalled leading position worldwide in new-generation twin-engine light helicopters for police and air-rescue services is the result of the innovative and dependable technology built into this helicopter. This includes its modular construction, the use of lightweight, corrosion-resistant composite materials, digital avionics, its quiet, bearingless main rotor and the shrouded Fenestron® tail rotor. The spacious cabin with easy access through large sliding doors at the side and wide rear clamshell doors permits optimum use and fast reconfiguration. A large range of certified special equipment is available.
Environmental compatibility is one of the most remarkable features of the EC 135. Its noise level of 7 dB is below the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) limit and official measurements indicate that this helicopter is the quietest in its class. This noise level corresponds to a tangible noise reduction of around 50 percent compared to the earlier helicopter generation in the same class. This aspect is highly significant for operators flying over cities or densely populated areas, as is the case for the police or air rescue services.
Eurocopter is a wholly-owned subsidiary company of EADS. EADS is a leading global company for aerospace, defence and associated services. In the year 2003, EADS generated revenues amounting to € 30.1 billion with a workforce of some 109,000. The EADS Group comprises aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the leading global helicopter producer Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the world’s second biggest manufacturer of guided missiles. EADS is the main partner in the Eurofighter consortium and prime contractor for the Ariane rocket. EADS develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the biggest industrial partner for the European Galileo satellite navigation system.
For further information, please contact:
| Jean-Louis ESPES | Eurocopter Aéroport International Marseille Provence 13725 Marignane Cedex – France |
Tel.: + 33 (0) 4 42 85 95 55 Fax: + 33 (0) 4 42 85 95 64 |
| Christina GOTZHEIN | Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH D-81663 Munich - Germany |
Tel.: + 49 (0) 89 60 00 64 88 Fax: + 49 (0) 89 60 00 44 37 |
| www.eurocopter.com |
