Verticon: Blending the new and the old
This was the first year with the new name for Verticon, the helicopter and rotorcraft industry’s exhibition formerly known as Heli-Expo, and a certain harmony between new and old emerged as the show ran its course in Dallas, March 10 through 13.
While helicopter makers generated excitement with introductions of new models featuring enhanced performance and technology, aircraft manufacturers and suppliers also displayed equipment and systems designed to update and extend the lives of older airframes.
In a move to expand its product line and compete in higher-end markets against larger aircraft, Robinson Helicopter Co. unveiled the 10-seat R88. The new model is the company’s largest, most powerful design to date by a significant margin. Robinson calls it “the most capable, affordable, and easy-to-maintain workhorse in its class.”
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The R88 unveiling was a surprise to many, though a potential successor to the company’s range-topping R66 had long been a topic of industry discussion. While crowds gathered at other presentations during the show, the Robinson booth was the clear winner when judged on pure buzz. Even two days after the March 9 reveal of the R88, it was hard to get near it or the latest R66s, as people queued up for a chance to sit in their cockpits. Arriving 15 years after the certification of the company’s last new model, the R88 was designed as an all-new type certificate that represents a step beyond the incremental enlargement of common airframes that characterized development of the R44 and R66 models from the company’s original R22. The new model adds features aimed at boosting the model’s utility and safety.
The R88 features Garmin G500H TXi displays and GTN navigators with touch-screen controls. The system includes a four-axis autopilot with level mode, hover assist, low- and high-speed protection, and limit cueing. The aircraft also has a health usage monitoring system, known widely as HUMS, for tracking and simplifying operations and maintenance.
The helicopter is meant to be configurable, with a flat cabin floor that can accommodate passengers, cargo, or combinations. The R88’s dual cyclic controls are removable on both sides to allow the pilot in command to sit in the left or right seat with a passenger in the other seat. The aircraft will be type-certified for single-pilot IFR operations. Base price for the R88 is $3.3 million. Robinson began taking deposits for the new model from its authorized dealers on March 11 at Verticon.
To help maintain interest in its popular R66 model, Robinson unveiled a next-generation version called the NxG, with new interior trim and exclusive paint schemes. In addition, the company will offer the Riviera, a limited-edition R66 loaded with top-of-the-line equipment and exclusive touches like Alcantara headliners and matching luggage. While the R88 might have been the show’s star, the R66 Riviera’s supporting role as the charismatic, approachable sidekick appealed to a younger crowd eager to take in every detail.
On March 11, Airbus Helicopters rolled out a full-scale model of the H140, a twin-engine, multi-mission design that targets the emergency services, private, and business aviation markets and is designed to complement the company’s existing products, including the H135, H145, H160, and H175.
“Introducing a new helicopter to the light twin engine segment is a testimony to our commitment to meeting our customers’ evolving mission requirements, leveraging our … programs such as Bluecopter,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “We worked hand in hand with our H135 customers to bring their additional requirements together in the H140’s efficient design. It enables customers to benefit from a bigger mission-enhancing cabin space that was sized to an optimised engine performance for the best-in-class payload and range.”
The H140, powered by two Safran Arrius 2E 700-shp engines with a dual-channel full authority digital engine control system, uses the same five-blade rotor system introduced in 2019 on the H145. The H140 also will feature Helionix, the same Airbus avionics installed in the H135, H145, H160, and H175.
Airbus said it plans to operate four dedicated prototypes for testing, with the first flying now at the company’s site in Donauwörth, Germany. The model is expected to enter service in 2028.
With new models from Airbus and Robinson in an industry where such introductions are rare, this year’s Verticon stands out.
“Having a new product introduction during the show is great, but having two is phenomenal,” said Baily Wood, director of strategic communications for industry trade group Vertical Aviation International. “This show is on track to be our most successful. The industry is upbeat. The vibes are great.” Last year’s show attracted 15,000 attendees and this year’s looks like it will at least come close to matching that figure, which Wood described as a “high-water mark.”
Enstrom Helicopter Corp. showed revised versions of its 480B line of helicopters that are aimed at the personal aircraft market. The 480B Elite comes with all the high-end features that Enstrom offers, including exclusive paint schemes designed by airbrush artist Dean Loucks as well as special luxury interiors.
“This is the option for personal owners who want all the accoutrements,” said Charles Wade, Enstrom’s senior vice president of product, sales, and customer excellence. “These are the pilots who enjoy the attention—whose desire is to show up in style wherever they travel, whether that be in their car, boat, coach, or airplane.”
The Elite package includes an all-glass panel with Garmin G500H avionics, GTN750 and GTN650 navigators, digital radios, ADS-B In and Out, Genesys autopilot, and air conditioning. A new Signature version will become the company’s base model marketed to owner-operators. Enstrom expects to begin deliveries during the third quarter of 2025 with European and Canadian deliveries expected during the first quarter of 2026.
Preserving the old
Aftermarket upgrades for existing aircraft include Garmin’s expected retrofit certification of its GFC 600H autopilot for the Airbus H130 and EC130 T2, which is expected by midyear. The autopilot will also be available as a factory option for new H130s.
The system’s features include attitude hold with speed stability, hover assist and return-to-level modes, Helicopter Electronic Stability and Protection, and overspeed and low-speed protection.
During its Verticon press conference, Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit focused on development of the Phase IV main gearbox designed to help revitalize its S-92 medium-lift helicopters. First flown in 1998, the S–92 has become a mainstay of the multi-mission market, though gearbox woes have at times hurt its effectiveness.
In testing, the new gearbox, which can operate after losing its main source of lubricant, exceeded the 90-minute target for operating using the auxiliary lubrication system. Company executives said the gearbox continued to operate for more than four hours, noting that the aircraft would run out of fuel before the gearbox would fail.
The main gearbox is arguably the heart of a helicopter. The PhaseIV gearbox, which Sikorsky said took 10 years and cost $100 million to develop, could keep aging S-92s in service for years beyond their previously expected lifespans. Sikorsky expects certification of the gearbox by the end of 2025.
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