ALBUQUERQUE, United States — Airbus’ H140 has completed a demanding US test campaign, moving from desert temperatures of at least 45°C to mountain operations as the helicopter works towards certification.
Airbus said on 20 October that the campaign ran from 13 June to 8 October. A 40-person support team helped log more than 130 flight hours and over 800 test landings.
Testing began around Lake Havasu City, Arizona, before moving to Leadville, Colorado, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. The different locations allowed engineers to examine hovering, take-off and landing performance across heat and altitude conditions.
The practical aim is to turn test results into performance information that future crews can use when planning operations with different loads and weather conditions.
### From desert heat to Nordic winter
The aircraft has returned to Donauwörth, Germany, ahead of extreme-cold testing in Finland and Norway this winter. A third prototype is expected to join the certification campaign early next year.
Airbus says substantial certification work remains. It is targeting first customer deliveries in 2028; completion of the US campaign is a development milestone, rather than approval to enter service.