New images of the H225M (EC725 Caracal) general-purpose helicopter, which Kuwait bought from Airbus in 2016, have been shared.
The platform's flight-testing program began in October 2019. In February 2020, Kuwait’s Armed Forces set up a committee to examine the details after technical problems with the engines of the first two Caracals received. The delivery of helicopters was suspended due to technical failures.
The platform stands out for its low operating cost and has a digital cockpit and four-axis autopilot.
Airbus and Kuwait signed contracts worth approximately US$1 billion for 30 H225Ms in 2016.
Today’s helicopter autopilots can be three-axis or four-axis systems. A three-axis system provides pitch, roll and yaw axis stabilization around the pilot’s desired attitude and heading reference. In a four-axis system, there is also a collective axis, where the autopilot provides collective (i.e., power) control.
211216-N-QI061-1222 NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (December 16, 2021) An MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), assigned to Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 (VUP-19), sits on the flight line at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Dec. 16, 2021. VUP-19, the Navy’s first Triton squadron, will continue to maintain and operate the aircraft off the East Coast to further develop the concept of operations and refine tactics, techniques, and procedures. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan T. Beard/ Released)