The AgustaWestland EH-101 Merlin

The EH-101 Merlin is a medium lift, multi-role chopper developed and produced by AgustaWestland International. AgustaWestland is a joint venture formed by Agusta of Italy, shapers of the A-109, and Westland of Great Britain, shapers of the Lynx. The EH-101 is a direct rival to the Igor Sikorsky S-92 and was developed for both military and civil roles.

The multi-mission capablenesses of the chopper required AgustaWestland to four variations, two civil and two military.

The first civil discrepancy is the public utility version. The public utility version can be used for a combination of riders and/or freight. It's able to carry through a figure or functions including law enforcement, offshore oil support, fire fighting, cargo, SAR (search and rescue), air ambulance, and corporate shuttle. Aircraft constellation is based on operator need. For example, an air ambulance constellation will have got room in the cabin for flight paramedics/nurses, Sixteen stretchers, and the needed medical equipment. The hunt and deliverance discrepancy is able to transport 20 subsisters normally up to 55 in a catastrophe type situation. The public utility version of the EH 101 have a rear incline for loading/unloading. The cabin is broad and have flush necktie down points on the floor. In improver it have a roller conveyer for burden cargo on palettes and a windlass for other cargo that cannot be ego laden or loaded via the conveyor. It have an external lading hook capable of lifting 12000 lbs. The EH-101 is capable of carrying and deploying a assortment of gear wheel to include searchlights and and hoists. In improver the side lading door is equipped with a deliverance hoist.

The 2nd civil discrepancy is the Heliliner. As the name implies, the Heliliner is configured to transport people in air hose like fashion. The chopper have a system that minimizes quiver and keeps low acoustic signatures in the cabin and the cockpit for increased rider comfort. The Heliliner can transport up to 30 people in air hose style seating a distance of 460 statute miles at a cruising velocity of 180 mph. The Heliliner characteristics a broad aisle, operating expense luggage bins, a big luggage compartment and a capable and efficient air conditioning system to keep rider comfortableness no substance if the chopper is operating in Arctic or tropical climates.

The first military discrepancy is a navalized version. As expected the navalized version is built to stomach sustained maritime operations. It's used for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), amphibious heli-borne assault and hunt and rescue. The navalized version is able to transport gunmen or depth charges.

The 2nd military discrepancy is the public utility version. It's able to transport 24-seated fully equipped military personnel or 45 standing fully equipped troops. It can also transport assorted equipment, cargoes and stores around the battlefield. Both military versions can be equipped with husk and flame up dispensers, infrared jammers, missile warnings, infrared counter measurements and other survivability features.

The chopper is constructed mostly of an aluminum-lithium alloy. It have a five bladed rotor coil system and is capable of operating in temperatures ranging from -45C to +55C. The cockpit utilizes a John Howard Northrop Grumman glass cockpit instrument system, which includes 6 cathode-ray tube shows and a Smiths Industries four-axis automatic flight control system. The civil version is powered by three General Electric CT7-6 turbo shaft engines rated at 2,000 SHP (shaft horsepower) each. Three Rolls Royce Turbomeca RTM322 engines rated at 2200 SHP each powerfulness the military versions.

A version of the EH-101 was selected by the United States Devil Dog Corps to be the adjacent chopper conveyance for HMX-1. HMX-1 executes presidential, very important person and very important person transport. They currently utilize H-3 Sea Kings and VH-60 White Person Hawk choppers to carry through conveyance missions. The United States 101, as it's been designated, is the first non-Sikorsky chopper to wing in this function since 1957. When all 23 choppers come up on line they'll be redesignated the VH-71A Kestrel.

Both Agusta and Westland have got produced very capable helicopters. Their coaction on the EH-101 have placed the concerted company AgustaWestland on the head of chopper design.