Leonardo has resumed flight test activities of its AW609 commercial tiltrotor program using the first prototype ( A/C1 ) after restarting g...
Leonardo has resumed flight test activities of its AW609 commercial tiltrotor program using the first prototype (A/C1) after restarting ground tests in April.
The program was grounded following fatal crash of the second prototype in Italy during flight testing in 2015.
The A/C1, the only flying platform in the program was relocated to Philadelphia from Arlington on Wednesday. The aircraft will soon be flown to Italy for further flight tests.
Flight testing for FAA certification will be carried out from Philadelphia using the A/C3 aircraft which had recently completed ground testing in Italy.
The A/C3 will also undergo icing trials in the winter of 2016 to demonstrate its capabilities in known icing conditions.
Currently, A/C4 is being assembled in Philadelphia which is scheduled to join the test fleet in 2017.
The AW609 can take off and land vertically like a helicopter but can cruise faster at speeds of up to 275 knots with ranges up to 1000 nm using auxiliary fuel tanks.
With a pressurised cabin capable of seating nine excluding two pilots, the AW609 can fly at an altitude of 25,000 feet.
The tiltrotor features a composite fuselage and wings, an advanced touch-screen cockpit and full fly-by-wire digital controls.
Capable of multi-roles the aircraft can be configured for passenger transport, search and rescue, law enforcement, maritime surveillance.
It is powered by two tiltable PWC PT-6C turboprop engines rated at 1,447 kW driving a three heated composite blades.
The crash and subsequent grounding has pushed the certification by one year to 2018, with deliveries to customers to follow.
Preliminary investigation report released by Italian ANSV into the 2015 crash has found the A/C2 developed Dutch Roll mid air during a high speed dive, before breaking up and crashing into a field, killing the two pilots on board.
UAE has signed a MoU for three Search and Rescue (SAR) variant of the type for the country's Joint Aviation Command (JAC) in November 2015.
The program was grounded following fatal crash of the second prototype in Italy during flight testing in 2015.
The A/C1, the only flying platform in the program was relocated to Philadelphia from Arlington on Wednesday. The aircraft will soon be flown to Italy for further flight tests.
Flight testing for FAA certification will be carried out from Philadelphia using the A/C3 aircraft which had recently completed ground testing in Italy.
The A/C3 will also undergo icing trials in the winter of 2016 to demonstrate its capabilities in known icing conditions.
Currently, A/C4 is being assembled in Philadelphia which is scheduled to join the test fleet in 2017.
The AW609 can take off and land vertically like a helicopter but can cruise faster at speeds of up to 275 knots with ranges up to 1000 nm using auxiliary fuel tanks.
With a pressurised cabin capable of seating nine excluding two pilots, the AW609 can fly at an altitude of 25,000 feet.
The tiltrotor features a composite fuselage and wings, an advanced touch-screen cockpit and full fly-by-wire digital controls.
Capable of multi-roles the aircraft can be configured for passenger transport, search and rescue, law enforcement, maritime surveillance.
It is powered by two tiltable PWC PT-6C turboprop engines rated at 1,447 kW driving a three heated composite blades.
The crash and subsequent grounding has pushed the certification by one year to 2018, with deliveries to customers to follow.
Preliminary investigation report released by Italian ANSV into the 2015 crash has found the A/C2 developed Dutch Roll mid air during a high speed dive, before breaking up and crashing into a field, killing the two pilots on board.
UAE has signed a MoU for three Search and Rescue (SAR) variant of the type for the country's Joint Aviation Command (JAC) in November 2015.
