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Eurocopter Tiger

Type
Combat and anti-tank helicopter

Country (Land)
France and Germany (Frankreich und Deutschland)

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Eurocopter Tiger GmbH
Gustav Heinemann ring 135/III
81739 München
Germany

Phone: 0049-89/638250-0
Fax: 0049-89/63825030

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2
Weapons (Bewaffnung): Four external hardpoints for missiles, rockets and guns, including
4 x Matra Mistral or Stinger AAM
1 x gun pod (12,7 mm or 20 mm)
8 x Euromissile Dynamics Trigat or Euromissile HOT anti-tank missiles (Panzerabwehrlenkwaffen)
2 x 22 rockets (68 mm-Raketen)
plus
1 x 30 mm canon in the nose, HAP version only (schwenkbare Kanone in der Nase, nur beim HAP)

Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x Rolls-Royce/Turboméca/MTU MTR 390 turboshafts
Power (Leistung): 958 kW at take-off (Startleistung), 873 kW max. continuous (max. Dauerleistung) and 1160 kW in an emergency (Notleistung). Specific fuel consumption (spezifischer Verbrauch) 274 g/kW/h.

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Fuselage length (Rumpflänge): 14,0 m
Length, rotors turning (Länge über alles): 15,8 m
Height (Höhe): 5,2 m
Rotor diameter (Rotordurchmesser): 13,0 m
Tail rotor diameter (Heckrotordurchmesser): 2,7 m
Span (Spannweite): 4,6 m

Weights (Massen)
Empty weight (Leermasse): 3060 kg
Max. fuel (max. Kraftstoff): 1080 kg
External fuel tanks (Zusatztanks): 495 kg
Max. take-off weigth (Max. Startmasse): 6000 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Design limit speed (max. Geschwindigkeit): 174 kts (320 km/h) or (oder) 161 kts (300 km/h) for the HAC version
Max. Speed, with armament (max. Fluggeschwindigkeit): 280 km/h or (oder) 260 km/h (HAC version)
Cruise speed (Marschgeschwindigkeit): 126 kts (230 km/h) or (oder) 118 kts (220 km/h (HAC version)
Hover out of ground effect (Schwebeflughöhe): 3250 m
Rate of climb (Steigrate): 10,7 m/s
Vertical rate of climb (Steigrate, senkrecht): 5,3 m/s
Range (Reichweite): 725 km or 670 km (HAC version)
Self deployment (Überführungsreichweite): 1300 km
Mission endurance (Missionsdauer): 2 h 50 min,

Customers (Kunden)
None yet, but Germany and France have reconfirmed their plans for 212 Tiger UHU (Unterstützungshubschrauber) for the Heeresflieger and 115 HAP plus 100 HAC for the Armée de Terre.

Competitors (Konkurrenz)
McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache
Bell AH-1W Super Cobra
Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche
Mil Mi-28
Denel Rooivalk

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The Tiger is one of the most important Franco-German collaborative projects, with all five prototypes now in test. First flight dates were:
   * PT1 on 27. April 1991
   * PT2 on 22. April 1993
   * PT3 on 19. November 1993
   * PT4 on 15. December 1994
   * PT5 on 21. February 1996
Flying time is around 1700 hrs so far, with a claimed 80 per cent of development activities completed.
The production investment contract was signed on June 20, 1997 at the Paris Air Show, stipulating two assembly lines at Marignane and Donauwörth. Total value is 733,6 million DM, securing 1000 high-quality jobs each in Germany and France. It is expected that a first order will be confirmed in 1998, covering a batch of 80 helicopters for each nation. Deliveries to Germany will begin in 2001, and France will take its combat-support variant in 2003. Anti-tank Tigres for France will follow in 2011, and production will stretch to 2025.

Last updated July 1, 1997

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