VHA Announces Airbus H125/AS350 Tail Rotor System

In June 2021, Van Horn Aviation completed the first ground run of its newly-developed tail rotor system for the Airbus Helicopters H125, previously known as the AS350. 

Features of the new system include:

• Individually-replaceable composite tail rotor blades
• VHA-designed titanium hub with self-lubricating spherical bearings
• No aircraft modifications required

VHA engineering and test team after H125/AS 350 tail rotor blade ground run, June 2021

Because the VHA H125/AS 350 tail rotor blades use the same NASA-designed laminar airfoil as our 206 series tail rotor blades, our engineers expect a similar increase in performance—including greater tail rotor authority—and decrease in overall noise signature compared to OEM blades. The VHA tail rotor blades are also expected to provide increased safety during a hydraulics failure. The VHA design is also projected to save Airbus operators thousands of dollars in direct maintenance costs.

Van Horn Aviation is working with Piranha Aerospace Solutions, a membership-based helicopter parts distributor, to launch the product. Flight testing will begin in summer 2021 with FAA certification estimated in 2022.

For the complete press release, click here.

For updates during development, visit our In Development page.