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HAI HC120 - c/n 8001 and beyond

The Airbus Helicopters EC120 B Colibri is a 5-seat light utility helicopter powered by a single Turbomeca Arrius 2F turbine engine. The EC 120 B Colibri, also known as Hummingbird, was developed with simplicity of design and low costs of maintenance in mind. It makes extensive use of composite materials and modern avionics. The new generation of fenestron tail rotor takes part in the decrease in external noise level, which makes the EC120 B ideal for missions near settled areas. The project started in 1990 when Aerospatiale of France, CATIC of China and Singapore Aerospace agreed in forming a partnership to develop a new light helicopter, then designated P-120L. Definition phase of the original P120L was subsequently redesigned with 500 kg lower gross weight and new engine and rotor. The helicopter divisions of Aerospatiale from France and MBB from Germany merged in January 1992 to form the Eurocopter Group. In October 1992, development of the new helicopter started and in January 1993, Eurocopter designation EC 120 was given to the helicopter. Mid-1993, the design definition was completed and assembly of first of two prototypes began at Eurocopter France at Marignane in early 1995. Eurocopter EC120 prototype F-WWPA c/n 1 flew first on 9 June 1995. The second prototype (F-WWPD c/n 2) was flown 17 July 1996. Certification to JAR 27 was achieved on 16 June 1997. Production of the EC 120 began on a small scale in 1997 at Eurocopter France's Marignane facility, with the first production Colibri (F-WWPL c/n 1005) flying on 5 December 1997. The airframes are made in China and the final assembly line of the EC120 is at the Eurocopter Marignane factory in France. Next to the final assembly of the EC120 in France, a number of helicopters were assembled in Australia and Brazil. In 2006, Regourd Aviation in France obtained EASA certification for the modified EC120 "Voyager", an EC120 with auto-pilot, glass cockpit & integrated avionics. On 6 November 2015, Airbus Helicopters started flight tests with the H120 demonstrator F-WMXC powered by a cleaner, more efficient 4.6-liter high-compression diesel engine in place of the Turbomeca Arrius 2F turboshaft. These test flights were part of the European Clean Sky initiative’s Green Rotorcraft Integrated Technology Demonstrator (ITD) program that started in 2011. In addition to Airbus Helicopters, the project involved TEOS Powertrain Engineering and Austro Engine. Since March 2015, Airbus Helicopters uses “H120” as marketing designation for the EC120 B helicopters. Serial production of the Airbus Helicopters H120, originally the Eurocopter EC120 B, has officially ended. The last H120 helicopter on order was delivered in September 2017. Over 700 single-engine H120 Colibris have been delivered in more than 50 countries with more than 400 operators. The decision to stop production of the H120 was the result of Airbus Helicopters’ strategy to focus on markets where high-end technologies bring the most value to customers. The company therefore concentrate on further developing its offer in the intermediate single-engine segment with the H125 and H130 through continuous improvements of these two best-seller types.
In 2023 Airbus Helicopters launched new upgrades for the H120 such as new avionics, skidshoes and free Halon fire extinguishers.
The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for both the EC120 or H120 and the HC120 is EC20.

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.

On 11 June 2004, a contract was signed to set up a second assembly line in Harbin, China, to manufacture the EC120 helicopter. The Chinese EC 120, built by HAI - Harbin Aviation Industries Co., Ltd. (Hafei Aviation), part of AviChina Industry & Technology Company Ltd., is designated HC120 for the Chinese domestic market as well as the army's pilot training. China ordered 150 HC120 helicopters for the Army Aviation Unit (AAU). The assembly line in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjian Province, is capable of producing 20 HC-120 helicopters a year. The first HC120 of this assembly line was flown first on 29 December 2004.

In the absence of data it is not possible to produce a reliable list of the HC120 helicopters built by HAI - Harbin Aviation Industries Co., Ltd. (Hafei Aviation). The following list is only intended to give an idea of the use of the construction numbers on the Chinese production line.
c/n Model registration registered cancelled remarks photo
8001 HC120 LH-90841 2005    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "1"  
8002 HC120 LH-90842 2005    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "2"  
8003 HC120 LH-90843 2005    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "3"  
8004 HC120 LH-90844 2005    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "44"  
8005 HC120 LH-90845 2005    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "45"  
8006 HC120 LH-90846 2005    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "46"  
8007 HC120 LH-90847 2005    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "47"  
8008 HC120 LH-90848 2005    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8009 HC120 LH-90849 2006    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8010 HC120 LH-90850 2006    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8011 HC120 LH-90851 2006    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8012 HC120 LH-90852 2006    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8013 HC120 LH-90853 2006    People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8014 HC120 LH-90854 2006 2020??  People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "54"  
    LH907354 2020??    LH Academy/3rd Brigade "54"  
8015 HC120 LH-90855 2006 2020??  People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "55"  
    LH907355 2020??    LH Academy/3rd Brigade "55"  
8016 HC120 LH-90856      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8017 HC120 LH-90857      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8018 HC120 LH-90858      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8019 HC120 LH-90859      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8020 HC120 LH-90860      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "60"  
8021 HC120 LH-90861      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "61"  
8022 HC120 LH-90862      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8023 HC120 LH-90863      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8024 HC120 LH-90864      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8025 HC120 LH-90865      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8026 HC120 LH-90866      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8027 HC120 LH-90867      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8028 HC120 LH-90868      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8029 HC120 LH-90869      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8030 HC120 LH-90870      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8031 HC120 LH-90871      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "71"  
8032 HC120 LH-90872      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps. "72"  
8033 HC120 LH-90873      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8034 HC120 LH-90874      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8035 HC120 LH-90875      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8036 HC120 LH-90876      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8037 HC120 LH-90877      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8038 HC120 LH-90878      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8039 HC120 LH-90879      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8040 HC120 LH-90880      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8041 HC120 LH-90881      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8042 HC120 LH-90882      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8043 HC120 LH-90883      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8044 HC120 LH-90884      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8045 HC120 LH-90885      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8046 HC120 LH-90886      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8047 HC120 LH-90887      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8048 HC120 LH-90888      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8049 HC120 LH-90889      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8050 HC120 LH-90890      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8051 HC120 LH-90891      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8052 HC120 LH-90892      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8053 HC120 LH-90893      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8054 HC120 LH-90894      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8055 HC120 LH-90895      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8056 HC120 LH-90896      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8057 HC120 LH-90897      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8058 HC120 LH-90898      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8059 HC120 LH-90899      People's Liberation Army (PLA) Army Aviation Corps.  
8060 HC120          
8061 HC120          
8062 HC120          
abbrivations - registered: P (permit to fly issued), R (reservation), T (temporary registered) 
abbrivations - remarks: dd (delivery date), lsf (leased from), ntu (not taken up), wfu (withdrawn from use), DBF (destroyed by fire), DBR (damaged beyond repair), cx (cancelled), CofA (Certificate of Airworthiness)
Airbus Helicopters EC120 B c/n 01 - 1050  1051 - 1100  1101 - 1150  1151 - 1200  1201 - 1250  1251 - 1300  1301 - 1350  1351 - 1400  1401 - 1500  1501 - 1600  1601 - 1700
HAI HC120 productionlist
Attention!!!   All the above data are informative only. The webmaster takes no guarantee of their validity. 
To keep the EC120 B production list up to date: please send Your updates to the contact adress

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page last updated 01-12-2023
Copyright © Jack Wolbrink, Emmen, the Netherlands
 

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