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 Until production ended in 2001, as the BO105 was superseded by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. The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the MBB Bo.105 is B105.
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.
The 1997-built MBB Bo.105CBS-5 s/n S-929 was registered D-HBOA with Eurocopter Deutschland and used as demonstrator first. In October 1997,
the D-HBOA was registered with Polizei Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart/Echterdingen Int'l Airport as operator and SL Mobilien-Leasing GmbH & Co.
Aquila KG, as owner. In service with Polizei Baden-Württemberg call sign "Bussard" was used. On 23 November 2001, the helicopter was
re-registered D-HBWH with as before Polizei Baden-Württemberg as holder and SL Mobilien-Leasing GmbH & Co. Aquila KG, as owner. In September 2004,
MBB Bo.105CBS-5 D-HBWH was transferred to AIR LLOYD Deutsche Helicopter Flugservice GmbH, Flugplatz Kassel-Calden and became the test bed for
further development of the DMP into the 'Geowork'family (GeoworkPAD, GeoworkNET and GeoworkBASE) and the LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging)
lasersysteem CHARM as a system for remote methane gas detection, in cooperation with E-ON, Adlares and the DLR - Deutschen Zentrum für Luft-
und Raumfahrt. CHARM stands for CH4 Airborne Remote Monitoring. On 1 February 2020, the company name changed to AIR LLOYD Flight Services GmbH,
Flugplatz Bonn-Hangelar. On 9 December 2021, CofA for export for the helicopter to Russia was issued. In 2022, registration D-HBWH was cancelled
and the helicopter was registered RA-02557 in Russia. It's work as platform for the LiDAR laser system CHARM for inspecting natural gas pipelines
for leaks was taken over by the MD Helicopters MD-900 Explorer D-HMDX that entered service with AIR LLOYD early 2021. On 27
July 2005, AIR LLOYD' MBB Bo.105CBS-5 D-HBWH was seen at the old location of HELITEC Helicopter Technik at Flugplatz Kassel-Calden (EDVK).
