Eurocopter Group

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Eurocopter S.A.S.

Type	Private
Founded	1992
Headquarters	Marignane, France
Key people	Fabrice Brégier
Industry	Aerospace
Products	Helicopters
Revenue	€3,211 million EUR
Employees	13,000
Parent	EADS
Website	www.eurocopter.com

The Eurocopter Group is a global helicopter manufacturing and support company formed in 1992 from the merger of the helicopter divisions of French Aérospatiale and German DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (DASA).

In 2001, Eurocopter's worldwide and American market share were 40% and 30% respectively. On May 14, 2005, a Eurocopter Ecureuil production helicopter flew to the summit of Mount Everest and performed a hover landing, setting a world record for highest take-off [1] [2].

As a consequence of the merger of the Eurocopter Group's former parents, the firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS.

[edit] Products

Eurocopter manufactures or has manufactured the following types of helicopters:

Eurocopter BK-117 (with Kawasaki Heavy Industries)
Eurocopter EC-135
Eurocopter EC-145
Eurocopter EC-155
Eurocopter Colibri (EC 120 B)
Eurocopter Cougar
Eurocopter Dauphin
Eurocopter Ecureuil
Eurocopter Fennec
Eurocopter Panther
Eurocopter Super Puma
Eurocopter Tiger

Due to its 62.5%-share, Eurocopter also participates on the producion of the NH90 Utility Helicopter Project. On some of Eurocopter's aircraft the main rotor turns clockwise when viewed from above, unlike most American rotorcraft. This requires the pilot to make pedal movements that are the opposite to those learnt if previous flying has been on an American aircraft. On models developed in Germany or with their input (BK117, EC145, BO105, et cetera) this is not the case. Eurocopter also pioneered the use of the "fenestron"—an enclosed tail-rotor, which is more efficient and safer than the exposed version.