Launched at the Paris Air Show, Airbus said the X6 will initially target oil and gas missions and will also be perfectly suited for search and rescue, VIP and other applications.
A successor to Airbus' H160 helicopter that is expected to be available in the 2020s, a fly-by-wire flight control system is an anticipated major innovation to be integrated on the X6.
"X6 will be for the heavy segment in the next decade what the H160 is today for the mediums. It will set new standards in the industry not only for design, but for its production strategy as well, as we will rely on the industrial capacities of our core countries, including the upcoming pillar in Poland," Airbus Helicopters president and CEO Guillaume Faury said last week.
"Our objective is to bring to the market the most efficient helicopter solutions adapted for how our customers' needs and the industry itself will evolve in the future."
