Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma
| H225 Super Puma | |
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| A Bristow Helicopters EC225LP at Aberdeen Airport | |
| Role | Passenger Transport Helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Eurocopter Airbus Helicopters |
| First flight | 27 November 2000 |
| Introduction | December 2004 |
| Primary user | CHC Helicopter |
| Produced | 1999–present |
| Number built | 170+(as of 2016) |
| Developed from | Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma |
| Variants | Eurocopter EC725 |
 EC225 – Bevel Gear Vertical Shaft Process
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Cockpit view of an EC225 taxiing and taking off
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EC225 in firefighting operations
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The Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma, now known as the Airbus Helicopters H225, is a long-range passenger transport helicopter developed by Eurocopter as the next generation of the civilian Super Puma family. It is a twin-engined aircraft and can carry up to 24 passengers along with 2 crew and a cabin attendant, dependent on customer configuration. The helicopter is marketed for offshore support and VIP passenger transport duties, as well as public service missions.
The civil-orientated EC225 has a military counterpart, which was originally designated as the Eurocopter EC725; it was rebranded in 2015 as the H225M. In 2015, the EC225 was formally renamed to the H225, in line with Eurocopter's corporate rebranding as Airbus Helicopters.
In the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis, oil and gas companies began exploration and extraction activities farther offshore, thus creating a long-term need for more capable rotary aircraft. The development of the EC225, an enlarged variant of the AS332 Super Puma, was announced by Eurocopter in June 1998. The principal differences of the EC225 from the preceding AS332 are the adoption of Spheriflex rotor technology and new Turbomeca Makila 2A turboshaft engines, along with a redesigned main gearbox to accommodate the rotor and engine changes, and the addition of an integrated flight display system; these changes resulted in higher speeds and passenger comfort, as well as greater flight safety and reduced operating costs.
On 27 November 2000, the first prototype performed its maiden flight. In July 2004, the type received its airworthiness certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency. In December 2015, the H225, a new designation used for the EC225, received certification from the Interstate Aviation Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States; this made the H225 the first foreign heavy-lift helicopter to become certified in Russia.
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Wikipedia