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Airbus Helicopters has selected Pratt & Whitney Canada and Collins Aerospace to collaborate on a hybrid-electric propulsion system for its PioneerLab technology demonstrator. The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is developing PioneerLab based on an H145 medium-twin helicopter to demonstrate the potential fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions savings that hybrid-electric propulsion could bring.
Under the program, the partners are replacing the H145’s existing engines with a hybrid propulsion system comprising a Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210 engine and two Collins 250-kW electric motors and controllers linked through a common gearbox.
According to the companies, this configuration will optimize engine performance with the electric motors providing high torque capability during flight stages such as takeoff and landing. The partners anticipate that the changes could improve fuel efficiency by as much as 30%. Test flights are slated to begin in 2027 at Airbus Helicopters' Donauwörth, Germany facility.
