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MBB BO.105
RNethAF B-67 D-HBBB
D-HFFF D-HGSG
D-HGSQ D-HUPE
PH-KHE PH-RPR
PH-RPX PH-RPZ
MBB / Kawasaki BK.117
D-HAOE D-HBRB
D-HDAC D-HMUZ
D-HHBG MBB Bo.105 CBS-4 c/n S-625 - ADAC Luftrettung - "Circuit van Drenthe" near Assen in Holland - 3 September 2004 lifeliner helicopters

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 Until production ended in 2001, as the BO105 was superseded by Eurocopter’s EC135, a total of 1,406 BO105s had been delivered to 55 customer nations.

As a result of the merger between the Eurocopter parents Aérospatiale-Matra; DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) and Construcciones Aeronàuticas Sociedad Anonima (CASA) in July 2000, the Eurocopter group became a division of the new formed EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space company). Taking off into 2014, EADS was rebranded as "Airbus Group". Uniting all its activities under a single brand, its helicopter division Eurocopter was rebranded as Airbus Helicopters on 8 January 2014.

RTH (Rettungstransporthubschrauber) Bo.105 CBS-4 D-HHHBG "Christoph" was photographed at the helipad of the TT-circuit in Assen in the Netherlands when operated as the HEMS-helicopter during the Superbike motorraces at the Circuit van Drenthe from September 3-5, 2004. The 1983-built Bölkow designed BO-105CBS-4 D-HHBG "Christoph" (ex. D-HDSU; (N4572M); 9V-BNP; D-HDSU; VH-NSL; VH-HPO; D-HDSU) was registered with the ADAC Luftrettung GmbH on 13 December 1989. Callsign "Christoph" is used for the German lifeliner helicopters since 1970 and is derived of Saint Christophorus, the Patron Saint for all travellers. The "Christoph" D-HHBG was used several times as backup for the ADAC/ANWB EMS-helicopters in the Netherlands and was operated as: "Lifeliner 1" in Amsterdam, "Lifeliner 2" in Rotterdam and "Lifeliner 4" in Groningen. In 2006, the MBB B0.105 CSB-4 D-HHBG was sold to Air Almaty in Kazakhstan and registered UN LA-130. The registration D-HHBG was cancelled on 15 May 2006. In Kazakhstan the UN LA-130 was re-registered UP-EC101.

page last updated: 30-01-2014
Copyright © Jack Wolbrink, Emmen, the Netherlands
 

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