Two new lightweight helicopters from BHR
Taking advantage of the dynamism of the aviation sector, the helicopter manufacturer featherweight BHR sees inflate its backlog
Daniel Michau before the Fandango tandem unit 700 kg intended for professional use.
Pascal Bernuchon resisted the lure of offshoring.Despite Chinese and Indian proposals, the president and founder of the group BHR Aircraft Corporation remained faithful to the Basque Country by installing earlier this year its manufacturing Helicopter Technocité park dedicated to aviation activities, Bayonne.
With its partners Burdinberri Vitoria-Gazteiz, subcontracting company of Airbus, and Mécabasque Cambo-les-Bains, subcontractor Dassault, he found in 2800 m2 of BHR-Helitechnica the factory setting ideal for mass-produce two featherweights born of his imagination. First there was the Mustang, two-seater ultralight motorized (ULM) 450 kg. The only helicopter in the world made of carbon kevlar composite material. The price? Only 149 500 euros. "And a low cost of ownership," says Daniel Michau, the director of export development and chief pilot in Basque SMEs times. And its selling point is unstoppable: "The hour flight on a Mustang, including fuel amounts to 100 euros! "
"High reliability"
An argument begins to seduce governments, companies monitoring power lines or railways in France but also abroad. Some emerging countries are interested in this unit to their customs, their army, their police, their ambulance ... The Gabon BHR even offers to install an assembly plant in the capital Libreville! A possible gateway to the African market . "The needs of Africa are now estimated at 2,000 helicopters," says Daniel Michau.
Fandango is another two-seater designed by 6 engineers engineering BHR. Awaiting certification at European level for professional use, this helicopter 700 kg is not yet commercially available. It will cost 190,000 euros. "We identify untapped niches, says Daniel Michau. Fandango, the direct competitor worth double, is not intended to replace Eurocopter! But it fills a need entry level. "
If BHR buys its engines and aircraft instruments, all devices produced in Bayonne. Pascal Bernuchon and its 17 employees are also working on the project of a cargo helicopter turbine 6 places, called "Iboga", the price would be around EUR 800 000. Meanwhile, the backlog swells. "It looks good, admits Daniel Michau. Since the beginning of the commercialization phase this summer, we recorded 8 and 10 firm sales option for the Mustang. It seeks to compensate our youth on the market, with fewer than 10 manufacturers in the world, with high reliability. We enter through the back door because we are a small manufacturer and we do not want to crush anyone! "
The objective is to produce 3 Mustang per month by the end of 2014, then 5 thereafter. With the aim of tripling the number of employees in the next two years. And a dream: to provide engines at the prestigious neighbor Turboméca ...
BHR helicopters, business park Technocité in Bayonne. 06 98 17 05 01.
www.bhr-aircraft.com
An argument begins to seduce governments, companies monitoring power lines or railways in France but also abroad. Some emerging countries are interested in this unit to their customs, their army, their police, their ambulance ... The Gabon BHR even offers to install an assembly plant in the capital Libreville! A possible gateway to the African market . "The needs of Africa are now estimated at 2,000 helicopters," says Daniel Michau.
Fandango is another two-seater designed by 6 engineers engineering BHR. Awaiting certification at European level for professional use, this helicopter 700 kg is not yet commercially available. It will cost 190,000 euros. "We identify untapped niches, says Daniel Michau. Fandango, the direct competitor worth double, is not intended to replace Eurocopter! But it fills a need entry level. "
If BHR buys its engines and aircraft instruments, all devices produced in Bayonne. Pascal Bernuchon and its 17 employees are also working on the project of a cargo helicopter turbine 6 places, called "Iboga", the price would be around EUR 800 000. Meanwhile, the backlog swells. "It looks good, admits Daniel Michau. Since the beginning of the commercialization phase this summer, we recorded 8 and 10 firm sales option for the Mustang. It seeks to compensate our youth on the market, with fewer than 10 manufacturers in the world, with high reliability. We enter through the back door because we are a small manufacturer and we do not want to crush anyone! "
The objective is to produce 3 Mustang per month by the end of 2014, then 5 thereafter. With the aim of tripling the number of employees in the next two years. And a dream: to provide engines at the prestigious neighbor Turboméca ...
BHR helicopters, business park Technocité in Bayonne. 06 98 17 05 01.
www.bhr-aircraft.com
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