A dance routine including props, lifts, and gymnastics introduced the world to Turbomeca’s newest engine offering, the 1,100-horsepower turboshaft Arrano, at Heli-Expo in Las Vegas.
The Arrano will have up to 15 percent lower fuel consumption than today’s models, said Turbomeca, part of the Safran group. It recently ran on a test bed for the first time, the company said, and its first platform application will be on the Eurocopter X4.
Eleven dancers concluded the routine, an homage to the expo’s location in the “entertainment capital of the world,” by forming the shape of a helicopter with their bodies around the covered engine, extending main and tail rotors to complete the image. “Arrano” is the Basque word for eagle and continues the French company’s tradition of tying its engine names to the Pyrenees.
Sarah Brown
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