A new Airbus helicopter designed by the French carmaker's design lab is making its debut at the Dubai Airshow.
Set to go into production in 2016, the H160 is an attempt to infuse the civil helicopter market with exciting, challenging and untainted aesthetics that will appeal to private individuals and aviation companies without alienating existing Airbus clients such as emergency healthcare providers or offshore oil rig platforms.
The result is a chopper that can claim to have truly new lines, from its reshaped nose through to its smoothly tapered windows. Peugeot's exterior design envelops a number of Airbus Helicopter innovations including a composite material frame, a biplane stabilizer and a cantered tail rotor, which aim to make the helicopter quieter for passengers.
"We used the initial styling developed by Peugeot Design Lab to define a strong personality for the rotorcraft -- a mirror reflection of the innovation, performance and emotion unique to the H160. We developed a helicopter based on the Peugeot Design Lab design, which immediately caught the attention of both operators and the general public. Style has become a key priority for the H160 programme, which aims to make a strong impression both with its unique personality and its performance," said Guillaume Chielens, Head of Style and Design at Airbus Helicopters.
As well as being one of France's most famous and most storied carmakers, Peugeot has had an equally long and successful history designing, developing and building everything from bicycles and munitions to revolutionizing pepper grinders and salt cellars.
In recent years it has started looking beyond personal mobility for projects where it can apply its expertise and in 2012 established the Peugeot Design lab to take on challenging commissions from beyond the auto industry. Over the past three years it has worked on train design, helped to develop consumer electronics devices and even worked on clothes.
But perhaps its most memorable recent commission was in-house. The Bistro Du Lion, unveiled in March was designed for the Milan Expo and represents Peugeot's take on the ultimate food truck, complete with foldaway seating, integrated TV screens and even a DJ booth.
The biennial Dubai Airshow attracts upwards of 60,000 visitors and this year runs November 8-12.
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