french helicopter

featured

the french fashion company hermès recently teamed
up with eurocopter, the world's third largest aerospace
group to create l'helicoptre par hermès, a luxury
helicopter. the new helicopter was first unveiled at the
national business aviation association's 2007 conference
in atlanta, after years in the making and months of
intense preparation.

designing

the project began as an investigation into designing
helicopters from the user's point of view. however the
particular user of this helicopter isn't your average joe.
this machine is specifically aimed at the business
aviation marketplace. for the discerning luxury traveller,
helicopters are an ideal end-to-end transportation
solution, moving them from the city to the airport;
the perfect complement to business jets. as you would
imagine this market segment puts a high premium on
design. in response, eurocopter collaborated with the
house of hermès, a leading expert with years of history
in the fashion design industry. this project was an
opportunity for both hermès and eurcopter to expand
their reach, branching out into new territories.
italian designer gabriele pezzini was recruited to work
with eurcopter engineers and hermès craftsmen to
realize the final design. he was given free reign over the
project and asked to improve the helicopter's aesthetics
and functionality. beyond surface changes, he set out to
create small and smart innovations that improved the
overall experience for the user and streamlined the
helicopter's production.

mission

l'helicoptre par hermès is based on the eurocpter EC135,
the company's best selling lightweight, multi-mission,
twin-engined helicopter. previous editions of the machine
have been used in varying applications from medical
purposes to public service missions. the vehicle was
selected for its spacious cabin that seats four
passengers and two pilots, ample storage and
unobstructed flat floors. additionally, the helicopter is
very quiet allowing it to be used in both day and night
urban scenarios.

pezzini worked closely with hermès craftsmen and the
eurocopter engineers to create a set of modifications
that would transform the basic model into something
more spectacular. however this collaboration was very
tricky and required working in a very precise manner
because helicopters are restricted by so many
regulations. the two teams also had to overcome their
contrasting expertise and find a middle ground where
they could exchange ideas and solve problems together.
after a deep analysis of the helicopter, a set of 55
modifications were suggested by the team. they were
approved by hermès art direction followed by the board
of eurocopter. in the end, 50 modifications were
deemed feasible by the engineering team. of these
50 changes, some were to be done by eurocopter
engineers, some by the hermes craftsmen and some
by a combination of the two.

one of the major modifications was done to the
helicopter's landing gear. pezzini designed a completely
new form fthat improved the functionality of the step,
while being more harmonious with the new paint
scheme. similar treatment was given to the door
handles and other exterior parts which would have
clashed with the minimal colour pallet. the way the
interior panels were installed was also redesigned
and in the end, the eurocopter production line found
the new method much easier. once the modifications
were finalized, the team assembled a sample prototype
which was later put into production.

the final design has a distinct style in the spirit of
hermès. the cabin features sliding doors which open
to reveal a spacious and tranquil interior. the interior's
pieces were created to maximize the available space.
all the main surfaces were covered 'toile h', one of
hermès' signature canvases, which has been used to
cover the company's travelware since the 1920's.
the seats and banquettes are covered in calf's leather.
the craftsmen used lots of leathers and fabrics to help
soften the ambient noise. even the smallest details were
modified to create one coherent design. for example, the
safety stickers were remade in customized jacquard.
the consoles and cabinets of the cabin have all been
recessed and hidden to keep the sight-lines of the
small cabin as uninterupted as possible. to separate
the cabin from the cockpit, a sliding glass partition was
added which creates privacy while allowing light to filter
in. the air conditioning ducts were all placed along the
central axis of the helicopter to create one solid duct,
further simplifying the design.

the passenger experience has been considered top to
bottom in the new helicopter. eurocopter is very
pleased with the design and believe that future
customer's of this luxurious machine will be as
enthusiastic. the attention to detail aims to add value
and appeal to this elite market segment. the first
editions of this vehicle are making their way to
customers from around the world in late 2008.
however with a price tag of 5.6 million euro, this design
is justifiably estimated to only sell around 10 models
a year.