Based on AMESim, a simulation model of airborne vapor cycle system was established, and solved under a typical helicopter flight profile, by controlling the compressor rotation speed via the proportional-integral method. The results show that the lower the cabin setting temperature is, the greater the refrigerating capacity of the system is, the smaller the COP is, the greater the heat transfer efficiency of the microchannel heat exchangers is, and the greater the refrigerant pressure drop is. Besides, the characteristics of system and its heat exchangers change dramatically at different flight phases. In the ground standby and climbing phases, the characteristics change obviously; in the cruising phase II, they remain stable as the cabin setting temperature is achieved; in the descending phase, they increase and then decrease due to the coupling effect of flight velocity and ambient temperature, except for the COP which keeps declining; in the ground parking phase, they tend to be stable.