First Mercedes-Benz EC145s for the CIS

Eurocopter Vostok has delivered to CIS customers the first two examples of the EC145 twin helicopter outfitted by Como, Italy-based Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studio. The first such aircraft began operations in Ukraine in March this year, the second one was delivered to Azerbaijan in September.

The joint project between Eurocopter and Mercedes-Benz was first presented to the public in 2010. The EC145’s spacious cabin enabled Mercedes designers create a modular interior based on that used in the parent company’s R-class car family. Cabin lighting is adopted from Mercedes-Benz E- and S-class sedans. The luxury EC145 cabin features a fridge, cup holders, a table, a monitor and DVD player, and also roomy storage spaces. The cabin configuration can be changed easily, since all passenger seats are rail-mounted. The cabin is separated from the cockpit with a windowed partition.

As Eurocopter Vostok representative also told Show Observer, in July this year a customer from Russia’s Altay Territory took delivery of a VIP-configured ЕС135.