Bo 105

The Bo 105 was conceived as a two-tonne-class light multi-purpose helicopter and first flew in February 1967. Airbus identifies it as the first helicopter with a rigid, hingeless rotor head made of titanium and glass-fibre-reinforced rotor blades. That technology made the aircraft unusually agile and easier to maintain than traditional articulated rotor-head designs with more moving parts. The Bo 105 is therefore important not only as a service helicopter, but as a technology bridge into later H135 and H145 rotorcraft design.

The Bo 105's design combined compact dimensions, twin-engine safety, and very high maneuverability. The rigid rotor system reduced maintenance burden and enabled agility that became a signature of the type. Airbus notes use across air rescue, police, military, VIP, passenger, and cargo transport roles. Military variants could carry anti-tank missiles or serve observation and liaison missions, while civil versions became highly visible in air-ambulance service. This broad mission spread is why the Bo 105 remains more than a museum type.

Airbus states that more than 300 customers bought around 1,400 Bo 105 aircraft and that the German armed forces were the largest customer, with more than 200 orders. Some German aircraft remained in service until December 2016, and the fleet accumulated more than 8 million flight hours worldwide. Those figures show why the Bo 105 deserves a full page: it had both military and civil impact, shaped later helicopter technology, and remained useful for decades after its first flight.