AgustaWestland has completed flight envelope expansion trials of its TiltRotor AW609 aircraft in December 2013, and has progressed to certi...
AgustaWestland has completed flight envelope expansion trials of its TiltRotor AW609 aircraft in December 2013, and has progressed to certification testing phase. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) certification is targeted in 2017.
The envelope expansion phase tested every aspect of the aircraft’s capabilities and has validated the flight envelope including the 25,000 feet service ceiling with a pressurised cabin and a maximum cruise speed of 275 knots, both of which were performed at the aircrafts maximum weight. The first two test aircrafts have now together clocked almost 1,000 flight test hours.
The extensive flight testing also confirmed the benefit of a number of aerodynamic and performance improvement modifications developed by AgustaWestland since program acquisition, that deliver a 10% drag reduction, as well as the STOL capabilities of the AW609, the latter enabling an increased take-off weight.
The third prototype, now being assembled at AgustaWestland’s Vergiate facility, will join the flight test program in 2014 in support of this certification flight testing. A fourth prototype will join the certification program at a later date to allow the new avionics suite to be flight tested, and enable type certification.
Other trials completed with the AW609 TiltRotor in 2013 included slope landings, run-on landings, aeroelastic stability testing and high altitude stability testing.
Northrop Grumman will provide flight-critical inertial instruments on the AW609.
