This new Aviationtag Edition marks new territory for us in two respects. First, because this is our first helicopter and second, because it is our first edition crafted from a German Bundeswehr aircraft – the Bo 105 with the former ID 86+14.

The Bölkow Bo 105 is a helicopter produced by the German manufacturer Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB). The Bundeswehr used it as an anti-armour helicopter, inter alia in Bückeburg, Roth and most recently in Greece as a training helicopter.

Our helicopter’s maiden flight was in 1981, with the Bo 105 86+14 retiring in 2017. After the odd detour, the cabin of the helicopter finally found its way to us and we are very proud to now be announcing this very special Aviationtag Edition.

The Bo 105: Ludwig Bölkow and Emil Weiland began designing the Bo 105 in 1961, which would go on to make its maiden flight on 16 February 1967.  As well as being used as a multi-purpose civilian helicopter, the model continues to be deployed mainly by government users such as the police, military, civil defence and disaster relief forces, as well as in air rescue down to this very day. It was in the Bo 105 that the newly developed rigid rotor head was introduced and that twin-engine propulsion with two shaft turbines first came to be used in civilian helicopter construction.

In 1969, before the helicopter entered into series production, Bölkow merged to form the Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) group. Decades later in 1991, MBB and Aérospatiale merged to form Eurocopter, now the largest helicopter producer worldwide. Production of the Bo 105 ended in 2001 when Eurocopter introduced its successor, the EC135. By 2001, more than 1400 Bo 105 helicopters had been sold in 55 countries worldwide, many of which are still in service today.