HELICOPTERS: ANOTHER BRANCH OF THE SAME INDUSTRIAL TREE
Airbus' company history is wider than passenger aircraft. Eurocopter was formed in 1992 by bringing together the helicopter divisions of Aerospatiale and the German industrial group. The Vertical Flight Society records the merger as a major historical milestone. In 2014 the business became Airbus Helicopters. The heritage includes separate French and German lines of helicopter development; it did not begin with the painting of a new name on an existing aircraft. [203, Eurocopter formation, 1 January 1992] [167, Airbus Helicopters history; 2014 name change]
The parallel is instructive without making the products interchangeable. Both the airliner and helicopter businesses grew through cooperation and industrial consolidation, but their customers, certification tasks and designs were different. The archive images of the EC135 and earlier rotorcraft therefore broaden the company story. They are a reminder that Airbus is a group of related aerospace capabilities, not a synonym for the A320 flight deck. [203]
The Eurocopter EC135 illustrates the helicopter branch of Airbus' industrial history. Image: Airbus heritage collection; credits in source p.48. [170, PDF p. 40]
An NH90 in the manufacturer's heritage collection. The NH Industries programme is a multinational partnership, not a sole Airbus product. Image: Airbus heritage collection; credits in source p.48. [170, PDF p. 40] [204, NHIndustries partnership]