Eurocopter X3 arrives in USA

The Eurocopter X3 hybrid
helicopter has arrived in the USA.
The aircraft will be based at the Grand Prairie,
Texas headquarters of Eurocopter’s US subsidiary,
American Eurocopter. The helicopter starts the US tour on 20 June 2012.

“After our highly successful
flight trials in Europe, the United States tour will underscore the maturity of
Eurocopter’s answer for applications where mission success depends on short flight
duration through maximum cruise speed at reasonable operational costs,” said
Lutz Bertling, Eurocopter’s president and chief executive. “It’s important to
demonstrate how we are applying innovation in responding to market needs with
solutions that are available today, and which deliver cruise speeds 50 percent
faster than standard helicopters at highly affordable costs – allowing for
significant increases in productivity.”

The aircraft will be
displayed over the next month in the USA, to both military and civilian
operators, showcasing the new helicopter’s wide range of uses, such as long
range search and rescue, offshore energy operations, border patrol, passenger
transport and inter-city shuttle operations.