Eurocopter EC120 Colibri

EC120 Colibri HC120
EC120B
Role	Light utility helicopter
Manufacturer	Eurocopter/Airbus Helicopters Harbin Aircraft Industry Group
First flight	9 June 1995
Introduction	1998
Produced	1995-present
Number built	over 550
Unit cost	US$795,000 (June 1999) ~US$2M, €1.5M (August 2013)

External video

In-cockpit view of EC120 B startup sequence

Spanish EC120 display at NATO Days 2013 Ostrava

The Eurocopter (now Airbus Helicopters) EC120 Colibri (English: hummingbird) is a five-seat, single-engine, light helicopter. Jointly designed and developed by Eurocopter, China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC), Harbin Aviation Industries (Group) Ltd (HAIG) and Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd (STAero) at Eurocopter France's Marignane facility, the EC120B is assembled by Eurocopter in France and Australia.

In China, the aircraft is produced by Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (HAMC) as the HC120. In 2004, HAMC began local manufacturing of the HC120 at their assembly line in Harbin, in northern China. In the Chinese market, both the People's Liberation Army and multiple local police forces have purchased HC120 helicopters.

The EC120 Colibri has its origins in the P120, a proposal by French helicopter manufacturer Aérospatiale that was intended to replace both their Aérospatiale Gazelle and Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama single engine helicopters. During the 1980s, Aérospatiale sought international partners with which to co-produce the P120, these included aerospace companies in China, Singapore, and Australia. In the aftermath of the Chinese Government's crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, the exclusion of Chinese involvement in the project was speculated.

On 20 October 1992, a contract for the joint development contract of the new helicopter was signed by the three principle partners of the project, the newly formed Eurocopter, China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) and Singapore Aerospace Ltd (STAero). Under the joint development agreement, Eurocopter received a 61% controlling interest and technical leader in the programme, CATIC received a 24% work share and STAero received a 15% work share; CATIC designed and produced the cabin structure and fuel system, STAero produced the tail boom, access doors, and composite materials, while Eurocopter produced the dynamic assemblies, installed the avionics, electrical and hydraulic systems, and conducted the final assembly activity. Development of the rotorcraft allowed Eurocopter to extend its range to include 1.5 metric-ton rotorcraft.