The MBB Bo.105 is a five-seat lightweight, general-purpose
helicopter. Development of the Bo.105 started back in 1959 when Bölkow
designed the Bo.103 helicopter. The Bo.103 single-seat flew first on 14
September 1961. The two-seat Bo.104 followed this study-project. Due to
marketing reasons this project was stopped in favour of the five-seat
Bo.105. Design work for the Bo.105 began in July 1962. Construction of
the first of three prototypes began in 1964. The first Bo.105 prototype
D-HAKO s/n V-1 was destroyed in ground tests and written off in October
1966. The second machine, D-HECA s/n V-2, was powered by two 317shp
Allison 250C18 turboshafts and on 16 February 1967, the BO105 took off
for its maiden flight in Ottobrunn (near Munich), Germany. On 14 May 1969
Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm GmbH (MBB) was formed and development of the Bo.105 continued
with the first production BO-105A, D-HABV s/n S-1, flying on 11 April 1970.
The breakthrough came in 1974 when the German Army ordered the BO
105 as a connection and observation helicopter. In January 1992 the MBB
Bo 105 became part of the large helicopters types row of Eurocopter when
the helicopter divisions of MBB from Germany and Aerospatiale from
France merged to form the Eurocopter Group. In 1993 the BO 105 CBS with
a 25cm fuselage stretch and extra window was certificated. Over the years,
license agreements for the BO105 CB/CBS versions with the Philippines,
Indonesia and Spain were concluded, and for the BO105 LS, a cooperation
agreement with Canada. Until production ended in 2001, as the BO105 was superseded by
Eurocopter’s EC135, a total of 1,406 BO105s had been delivered to 55
customer nations.
On 20 July 1985, MBB BO.105S D-HBBB of the DRF-Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht
e.V. (Rettungsdienststiftung Björn Steiger e.V.) was photographed at the
DRF-maintenance station at Baden-Baden Oos in Germany. The DRF
facilities at Baden Baden Oos aerodrome were opened in 1980. In 1999 the
DRF-Operation-Centre at the Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport was opened,
including the new maintenance facilities. The 1977-built MBB Bo.105S
D-HBBB (ex. D-HDLG) was operated by the DRF from February 1980 till
October 1997. The helicopter was transferred to Eurocopter Deutschland
and re-registered D-HDRA in October 1997. Since, the D-HDRA was
transferred to Rhein-Ruhr Helicopter and in 2002, to Elbe Helicopter. In
2003, IFA-International Flugambulanz leased the BO.105S and used the
D-HDRA as backup at Leipzig. After being withdrawn from service with
Elbe Helicopter / IFA, the D-HDRA was ferried to the DRF-maintenance
facilities at Baden Airpark / Karslruhe - Baden-Baden Airport. The MBB
BO.105S was destined for export to Indonesia. In October 2007,
Bo.105S D-HDRA was noted in all blue colors at Baden Airpark. The D-HDRA
was not exported to Indonesia but wfu and parked at Baden Airpark. In
autumn 2008, the D-HDRA was transferred to FLYMED Gesellschaft, Oberpullendorf, Austria.
Luchtvaart déjà vu
