More of less mating the engine and rotor system of the AS350 to a widened fuselage of the EC120 Eurocopter created the EC130 helicopter. It is now marketed by Airbus Helicopters as H130.

The EC130/H130 has a streamlined fuselage like the EC120, including the gearbox and engine housing on top. The air intake of the single turboshaft engine is at the front of it, above the cockpit. A good view is provided by single piece front windows from top to bottom with a smaller one in the middle. The latter is supplemented by a square one at the underside of the nose. There are two side windows that taper to the rear. The three blade main rotor is essentially the same as that of the AS350. The curved exhaust is at the back of the engine housing. The EC130 has a shrouded tail rotor or fenestron, in the tail with a vertical fin on top and only a very small fin down. Just in front are small horizontal stabilisers. A key feature of the EC130 are the skids: the are attached to the fuselage at the front and at the back. Like on the EC120 the rear attachments are wide, flat and curved.

The original version is apparently supposed to be a follow-up of the last AS350, the AS350B3. Hence the EC130B4 designation. Its main recognition point is the large, hinged cockpit door on the right side. You can see it open on the photo above. It is much larger than the second door. On the left side, the entrance doors are of about equal size.

The much improved version of the EC130, the EC130T2, is supposed to be 70% different from the EC130B4. However, on the outside this is not apparent. The best way to recognise this version is to look on the right side, as the entrance doors are about equal of size. Internally, the floor is flat, the engine delivers more power, the structure has been reinforced and access panels are supposed to be different.

This version is now marketed by Airbus Helicopters as H130.