Here for the first time at Farnborough is the 20-passenger NH 90 tactical transport helicopter, on display in the Westland/Agusta corral as part of the product range the Italian company brings to the merger.

The NH 90 is Europe's biggest-ever helicopter program. The four-nation NH Industries recently received a $4.2 billion contract to produce the first 196 helicopters, with plans eventually to produce 595 of the twin-engine, 10-ton class aircraft.

By any standards the NH 90 is a marvel of European cooperation: France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands managed to agree on a common requirement, and to set up a joint international structure to meet and execute it. NH Industries' composition is 41.6% Eurocopter France, 28.2% Agusta, 23.7% Eurocopter Deutschland, and 6.5% Stork Fokker of the Netherlands.

The creation of EADS will bring 65.3% of the program into a combined Eurocopter.

Despite many trials and tribulations, including massive cuts in defense budgets, the fixed-price program has taken just 10 years from Memorandum of Understanding to Initial Production-not bad in today's world.

Current plans call for Germany to buy 219 NH90s, Italy 196, France 160, and the Netherlands 20.

The two versions of the NH90-a 20-passenger tactical transport and a naval NATO frigate helicopter-share a common basis. Both are offered with either the Turbomeca RTM 322 or GE T700-T6E engine; France, Germany and the Netherlands have chosen the RTM, and Italy the T700.

Technological features of the NH 90 include an all-composite crashworthy fuselage with low radar signature, fly-by-wire controls, single-pilot IFR capability, and a low maintenance requirement of 2.5 man hours per flight hour.
With production about to begin, the NH 90 is now chasing the export market. Prime target-and its first competition-is the joint helicopter bid by the four Nordic nations, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark, for between 70 and 90 helicopters. They are seeking a versatile helicopter that will carry out many roles, including tactical transport, search and rescue, and anti-submarine warfare.

NH Industries is offering both naval and transport versions of the basic common NH90, with RTM 322 engines. Finland's requirement for deliveries to begin in the second half of 2003 fits well into the NH 90 production timeframe, as first production helicopters will roll off the line earlier that year.

Competitors for the Nordic contract include the much larger EH 101 helicopter, Sikorsky's new S-92 (which is seeking its first production order), and the yet-to-be-built Agusta Bell AB139 20-passenger utility helicopter.
NH 90 helicopters have now flown some 650 hours in prototype form.

By John Morris