The second prototype of the NH90 Sea Lion commissioned by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr) lifted off from the Donauwörth site for its maiden flight on 24 November 2017.
Airbus Helicopters is now entering a development testing phase of several months that will focus on avionics and software. Activities for the qualification of the delivery configuration will start over the course of 2018 once additional modifications have been made to the prototype.
Despite the very demanding timetable, the company is convinced that deliveries to the German Navy will start at the end of 2019. Final assembly of the first Sea Lion series production aircraft also started recently; this will run in parallel to the qualification.
MAIN CHARACTERISTICS
| OVERALL DIMENSIONS (ROTORS TURNING) | |
| Length | 19.56 m/64.18 feet |
| Width | 16.30 m/53.48 feet |
| Height | 5.31 m/17.42 feet |
| WEIGHTS | |
| Maximum Gross Weight | 10,600 kg/23,369 lbs |
| Alternate Gross Weight | 11,000 kg/24,250 lbs |
| Empty Weight | 6,400 kg/14,109 lbs |
| Useful Load | 4,200 kg/9,260 lbs |
| CARGO CAPACITY | |
| Cargo Hook | 4,000 kg/8,818 lbs |
| Single or dual Rescue Hoist | 270 kg/595 lbs |
| Rescue Hoist on ground | 400 kg/880 lbs |
| Crew (2 + 1); 20 troops in full crashworthy or up to 12 strechers | |
| FUEL CAPACITY | |
| 7-Cell Internal System | 2,035 kg/4,486 lbs |
| Internal Auxiliary Fuel Tanks (each) | 400 kg/882 lbs |
| External Auxiliary Fuel Tanks (each) | 292 kg/644 lbs |
| or | 500 kg/1,102 lbs |
| INTERNAL DIMENSIONS | |
| Width | 2.00 m/6.56 feet |
| Length | 4.80 m/15.75 feet |
| Height | 1.58 m/5.18 feet |
| Volume | 15.20 m³/536.78 feet³ |
| Sliding doors opening | 1.60 × 1.50 m/5.25 × 4.92 feet |
| Rear ramp opening | 1.78 × 1.58 m/5.84 × 5.18 feet |
| NH90 GENERAL PERFORMANCE (BASIC AIRCRAFT, AT 10,000 KG/22,046 LBS) | |
| Maximum Cruise Speed | 300 km/h/162 knots/186 mph |
| Economical Cruise Speed | 260 km/h/140 knots/162 mph |
| Maximum Rate of Climb | 11.2 m/s/2,200 feet/min |
| OEI (One Engine Inoperative) Rate of Climb 2 min Rating | 4.3 m/s/850 feet/min |
| OEI Rate of Climb Continuous Rating at 2,000 m/6,560 feet | 1.5 m/s/300 feet/min |
| Hover Ceiling IGE (In Ground Effect) | 3,200 m/10,500 feet |
| Hover Ceiling OGE (Out of Ground Effect) | 2,600 m/8,530 feet |
| Maximum Range | 530 NM/610 miles/982 km |
| Maximum Range with 2,500 kg/5,511 lbs payload | 486 NM/559 miles/900 km |
| Maximum Endurance | 5 h |
| Ferry Range (with Internal Aux Fuel Tanks) | 864 NM/994 miles/1,600 km |
| POWER SYSTEM | |
| Twin engine with dual channel FADEC (Full Authority Digital Electronic Control) | |
| Two Turbomecca (RTM 322-01/9 or RTM 322-01/9A enhanced version) | |
| or | |
| Two General Electric (GE T700/T6E1 or CT7-8F5 enhanced version) | |
| NH90 ENGINES POWER RATINGS (UNINSTALLED POWER DATA-ISA/SEA LEVEL) | |
| RATING | RTM 322-01/9 |
| OEI 30 sec (100%) | 2,172 kW/2,913 shp |
| OEI 2 min | 1,855 kW/2,488 shp |
| OEI Continuous | 1,781 kW/2,388 shp |
| AEO (All Engines Operating) TOP (30 min) (×2) | 1,781 kW/2,388 shp |
| AEO Continuous (×2) | 1,664 kW/2,231 shp |
| RATING | GE T700/T6E1* |
| OEI 30 sec (100%) | 2,095 kW/2,809 shp |
| OEI 2 min | 1,842 kW/2,470 shp |
| OEI 60 min | 1,692 kW/2,269 shp |
| AEO TOP (30 min) (×2) | 1,692 kW/2,269 shp |
| AEO Continuous (×2) | 1,577 kW/2,115 shp |
| ROLE EQUIPMENT | |
| Door mounted pintle machine gun (7.62-mm or 12.7-mm) | |
| Armour protection for cabin (modular) | |
| Self-protection suite | |
* GE engines with Integrated Particle Separator (IPS)