New Rotorcraft 2014
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NEW ROTORCRAFT 2014 AW169 GE CT7-2E1 turboshafts (2,000 did not already own from Bell shp each) that give the helicop- in 2011, effectively dissolving the AgustaWestland announced ter good high/hot performance joint venture known as the Bell/ the 4.5-ton-class AW169 medium and satisfy the 6,000-foot, 95 de- Agusta Aircraft Company that twin in 2010. The eight- to 10-pas- gree F OGE standard. The air- had been jointly developing the senger helicopter is being designed conditioned 409-cu-ft cabin is 25 aircraft as the BA609 since 1996. for single-pilot IFR operations percent larger than that of the The AW609 program is currently and made its first flight in May AW139 and the baggage hold headquartered at a new facility in AgustaWestland AW609 Eurocopter EC175 2012. Three more prototypes are offers 71 cu ft. The AW149 can Arlington, Texas, and the aircraft flying and have accumulated more hold 12 fully provisioned troops will be certified initially by the than 480 hours of flight time. or seat 18 passengers, cruises at FAA under Parts 23, 25, 29 and a Certification remains on track 150 knots and has a maximum new category called powered lift. for later this year. The AW169 range of 635 nm. It has a full Approximately 120 employ- is intended to compete with the glass-panel avionics system that ees are working on the program S-76D and uses a variant of the is NVG compatible, a four-ax- in Arlington and another 120 at same Pratt & Whitney Canada is autopilot and can be ordered AgustaWestland’s plant in Cas- Fadec-controlled PW210-series with optional rotor ice protec- cina Costa, Italy, where con- engines (1,000 shp each) that tion. AgustaWestland continues struction of a third prototype power the Sikorsky. to campaign the AW149 but has has just been completed; it will The AW169 features a digital, yet to find a launch customer. join the test fleet late this year, With military funding in doubt, large three-screen glass-panel avi- In 2011 the company an- for use primarily in icing tri- JACK SYKES onics system that includes dual nounced its intention to offer a als. The fourth will join the fleet Bell 525 Relentless Eurocopter EC145T2 FMS; a 222-cu-ft flat-floor cabin; civilian variant of the AW149, next year equipped with various civil market drives new development a 45-cu-ft baggage hold; and low the AW189, aimed mostly at the enhancements, including a new BELL fly-by-wire flight control sys- piston-powered two-seat trainer In the cockpit, the Helionix noise signature. It is expected to lucrative offshore oil-and-gas tail fin, reshaped engine exhaust tem with a BAE flight computer to compete with the Robinson avionics will be accompanied by by Thierry Dubois & Mark Huber offer good high/hot performance. industry. Four prototypes and stacks and the Rockwell Collins that incorporates lessons learned R44 and the Sikorsky 300C. a four-axis autopilot. Its greater The cabin is large enough to two preproduction aircraft have Pro Line Fusion avionics sys- SLS on the Bell/Boeing V-22 and While the company has yet to power means that the 894-shp he rarefied offshore energy market continues to be the AGUSTAWESTLAND accommodate transverse-loaded amassed nearly 2,000 flight-test tem. Bell continues to provide Bell announced its five-seat AW609 (formerly Bell/Agusta make a formal announcement Turbomeca Arriel 2E engine prime driver for development of new civil helicopters, stretchers. AgustaWestland plans hours to date and last month temporary engineering support Short Light Single (SLS) at the 609) tiltrotors. on the project, it is believed to be burns more fuel than the current to offer military, search-and- the company said certification and will manufacture the rotor Paris Air Show last year. Perfor- The 525 will feature the exploring the development of a engine, but 3 to 4 percent more but the training and entry-level market is also heating T AW119Kx rescue, EMS, offshore and corpo- was “imminent.” blades and yokes for the AW609. mance goals for the SLS include Garmin G5000H touchscreen- smaller version of its three-seat fuel capacity keeps the pay- up, with Bell and others announcing or hinting at new models. AgustaWestland has gone rate variants. The AW189 is being mar- The two current prototypes, a speed of 125 knots, a range controlled glass panel integrated 280FX to tap into the burgeon- load-range diagram unchanged. Various studies predict that worldwide civil helicopter produc- glass in the updated AW119 sin- AgustaWestland holds orders keted as a lower-cost alterna- one based in Arlington and the of 360 to 420 nm, a useful load avionics suite with four main ing worldwide training market. Eurocopter claims that an 8- to tion will double between now and 2020 in terms of over- gle. In 2012 the company unveiled for more than 100 copies and tive to the Sikorsky S-92A and other at Cascina Costa, have of 1,500 pounds and a ceiling displays and Telligence voice- 10-percent reduction in direct all sales value as OEMs focus on delivering larger and more the $3.9 million AW119Kx, which anticipates a market for 1,000 Eurocopter EC225. With 12 logged 850 flight-test hours since of 11,000 feet. Power will come command capabilities, two key maintenance costs will offset the features the Pratt & Whitney copies of the $10- to $12 mil- passengers, the AW189 has the 2003 and explored 95 percent of from a Turbomeca Arrius 2R components of Bell’s new ARC EUROCOPTER cost increase. expensive helicopters. Concurrent with this growth, the world- Canada PT6B-37A engine (872 lion AW169 over the next 20 range to reach and return from the flight envelope. Plans cur- (rated at 450 to 550 shp) with (awareness, react and control) On the EC145T2, the tail fea- wide market for new military helicopter sales, the lifeblood of shp continuous) and the Garmin years. The helicopter will be platforms as far as 200 nm off- rently call for certification in Fadec and Garmin will provide Horizon cockpit. The ergo- EC175 tures a shrouded fenestron tail most helicopter OEMs, is expected to be slashed dramatically G1000H integrated avionics suite produced at AgustaWestland’s shore. The manufacturer is offer- 2017. Announced aircraft per- the G1000H glass-panel avion- nomic cockpit features pilot EASA certification of the rotor, installed in a new damage- during the same period, from $12 billion to $6 billion per year. with synthetic vision, moving main plant in Vergiate and at ing the AW189 in offshore, VIP, formance includes a maximum ics. The SLS also features a fully seats that J-track, pushing back 16,500-pound EC175 medium tolerant, all-composite boom, map and highway in the sky and AgustaWestland Philadelphia maritime search-and-rescue and forward speed of 275 knots, a flat-floor cabin and rear clam- and swiveling outward, for ease twin, originally anticipated for without an intermediate gear- That reduction could have an impact on certain OEMs’ abilities obstacle/terrain avoidance sys- with major components manu- parapublic variants. The AW189 ceiling of 25,000 feet, a hover shell loading doors for cargo of egress. Right-hand, fly-by- late 2011, is now expected early box. The design has also been to fund new civil programs after 2015 and their opportunities tems. The helicopter was certi- factured at the company’s facility is expected to be certified with a out of ground effect of 5,000 or medevac. Bell is adapting wire sidesticks replace the con- this year. As one of the final improved with a duplex actuator to leverage technology developed for new military programs fied last year, and 10 are in service in Yeovil, UK. Approximately 30 variety of options and kits, with feet, hover in ground effect of proven drivetrain elements from ventional cyclics. steps in the process, Eurocopter and dual hydraulic circuits. into civil helicopters. with launch customer Life Flight percent of all orders to date are the eventual goal of approval 10,000 feet, and a useful load its legacy 206L4 LongRanger to The 525’s tailboom has been has submitted the rotorcraft’s Network, an EMS operator in from North and South America. for single-pilot IFR. Bristow of 2,500 pounds. Short-take- contain costs. First flight is antic- designed to provide less resis- flight manual to the European AS365N3e effort, customer support net- the Pacific Northwest. Group is the launch customer. off capability will be added to ipated later this year with certifi- tance and more lift for a higher Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Another delayed program AVICOPTER works and marketing separately. The G1000H in the AW119Kx AW149/189 Other orders have been received the certification basis to increase cation in 2015 or 2016. The SLS hover out of ground effect alti- Three customers are scheduled at Eurocopter is the AS365N3e With the exception of the features two 10.4-inch LCD The Italian airframer an- from ERA, Bel Air, Azerbai- the helicopter’s maximum gross will be built at a new facility in tude than conventional designs. to take delivery this year. Dauphin, deliveries of which AC352 engine, the status of the AC352 screens to provide both primary nounced the AW149 program in jan Airlines, Weststar and Gulf weight on departure from 16,800 Lafayette, La. A price has not yet Bell claims the boom’s aerody- At its 16,500-pound mtow, are now planned to begin early China-based Avicopter is program is largely unknown. flight display and multifunc- 2006 and the 8.6-ton helicopter Helicopters.