Icing Flight Test Campaign On The H175b

Abstract

This paper describes the icing campaign carried out by Airbus Helicopters on its twin H175B prototypes over the winter 2023/24 in Canada and Norway. The primary objective of this campaign was to demonstrate the compliance of the helicopter's ice protection system with the regulatory requirements of EASA for an upcoming certification of H175B for flight in icing conditions. In close coordination with the lead engineering team in France, two prototypes were flown simultaneously in Canada and Norway to validate the efficiency of the system and the proper behavior of the helicopter in terms of performance, vibrations and loads. The efficiency of the Full Icing Protection System (FIPS) in icing conditions as well as the material limit margins of the blades - also known as the "overheating demonstration" - in dry conditions were validated in accordance with CS29 Appendix C, limited to the requested 10.000ft altitude envelope.