Airbus Helicopter Bubble Windows Now Certified

Swiss Rotor Solutions has developed a retrofit bubble window set for Airbus H125/AS350 helicopters, and recently announced it has achieved EASA certification. FAA certification is in the works and is expected soon, the company said. The kit consists of a new door with the bubble window, a new bow-shaped floor structure that the door conforms to and a floor viewing aperture outboard of the right-hand pilots seat.

Swiss Rotor Solutions has developed a retrofit "bubble" window set for Airbus H125/AS350 helicopters, and recently announced it has achieved EASA certification. FAA certification is in the works and is expected soon, the company said. The kit consists of a new door with the bubble window, a new bow-shaped floor structure that the door conforms to and a floor viewing aperture outboard of the right-hand pilot's seat. The floor window increases a pilot's field of view on the ground by about 10 times, from 1300 square feet for the standard floor window, to 13,000 square feet with the bubble set.

The system provides an extra 6 inches of floor space plus more headroom for the pilot, and enlarges the cabin-floor window by 350 percent. The changes also enhance safety, according to Swiss Rotor, providing possible reduced insurance rates for some customers. The company says it worked closely with Airbus Helicopters to develop and certify the system, which can be installed at the customer's site by a mobile team. Installation takes about 70 to 120 man-hours, the company said.