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Fonte: flightglobal.com ..... "Leonardo nears firm order from UAE for AW609" .....Leonardo Helicopters is closing in on a final contract with the United Arab Emirates for three search and rescue-roled AW609 tiltrotors.
The UAE in 2015 placed a tentative commitment for three examples, with a further three AW609s covered by options, to be operated by its Joint Aviation Command.
..... aviationweek.com ..... "Market Stability, New Tech Could Shape 2018 Rotorcraft Market" .....For a number of long-running rotary-wing projects, 2018 will be an important year.
Perhaps the most iconic of these will be Leonardo’s AW609 commercial tiltrotor, which has overcome delays and the fatal loss of the second prototype.
Leonardo believes it can finally close the tiltrotor’s development chapter and achieve FAA Powered Lift certification by the end of 2018.
Certification of the aircraft’s powerplant, Pratt & Whitney Canada’s 2,000-shp PT6C-67A, was achieved in September.
The fourth prototype, AC4, fitted out in a preproduction standard that will feature the full Rockwell Collins Fusion avionics suite planned for production aircraft, was planned to be rolled out before the end of 2017.
Fonte: ainonline.com ..... "Leonardo Progressing Toward 2019 EIS for AW609" .....Leonardo Helicopters is checking off key milestones on its AW609 civil tiltrotor program, and the aircraft remains on pace for entry into service in 2019, the company reported in its latest update.
“Our collaboration with [the International Civil Aviation Organization] and the FAA, coupled with the increasing momentum in flight test and developmental operations, puts the company in the right position to ensure first AW609 deliveries after certification in late 2019 meet customer operational requirements,” said Bill Sunick, AW609 marketing manager for Leonardo.
Fonte: flightglobal.com ..... "Era Group signs for two AW609s" .....Era Group (*) has emerged as the launch customer for the Leonardo Helicopters AW609 tiltrotor, with an initial firm commitment for two aircraft for delivery from 2020.
Configured in a nine-passenger layout, the tiltrotors will be used for a range of applications, including utility and offshore transport, search and rescue, and emergency medical services (EMS) missions in the USA.
Era Group had in 2016 signed an agreement with the manufacturer to assist in the development of an EMS variant of the AW609
Fonte: flightglobal.com ..... "Leonardo targets Italian military for sales of AW169 and AW609" .....Leonardo Helicopters has begun early discussions with Italy regarding the possible acquisition of its AW169 and AW609 models.
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In addition, Leonardo sees a possible role for the AW609 tiltrotor in the Italian inventory as a long-range search and rescue or maritime patrol asset.
"It is a matter of finding the proper role," says Garavaglia.
"There is not a firm requirement but there are discussions and exploration about how it could serve some of Italy's needs."
Fonte: flightglobal.com ..... "AW609 still on course for 2019 certification, insists Leonardo" .....Leonardo Helicopters remains confident that it will gain certification later next year for its AW609 civil tiltrotor, despite the fact that the final flight-test prototype has yet to fly.
Speaking at the Helitech show on 16 October, Roberto Garavaglia, senior vice-president of competitive analysis and strategy, said that the AW609 is "on the path to certification at the end of next year".
Fonte: flightglobal.com ..... "Leonardo picks GE CT7 engines for next-gen tiltrotor" .....Leonardo Helicopters has selected twin GE Aviation CT7 engines to power the Next-Gen Civil Tiltrotor (NGCTR) technology demonstrator it is producing under the EU's Clean Sky 2 initiative.
Talks with GE on the latest application for the powerplant began in October 2018, says NGCTR programme manager Andrea Artioli.
… rid.it … L’AW-609 AC4 a Cascina Costa …
Leonardo continues to make preparations for the commercialization of the world’s first civil tiltrotor aircraft, now approaching type certification almost two decades after its first flight.
At the company’s North American headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the stage is being set for production, training, and support of the AW609.
Leonardo’s new training center, an $80 million investment, will open its doors to the public this month with Level D full flight simulators for the AW139, 169, and 609, the last of which will begin certification at the end of the summer.
… ainonline.com … Production-conforming AW609 Expected To Fly Soon …The fifth prototype in Leonardo’s AW609 tiltrotor program is nearing final completion at the airframer’s U.S. assembly facility in Philadelphia, and it is expected to make its first flight later this summer.
During a visit to the site last week by AIN, P5, the first production-conforming aircraft, was seen with its wing mated to the fuselage, while the sixth airframe - which is slated to be the first production aircraft, destined for launch customer Bristow - sat behind it awaiting wing attachment.
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… flightglobal.com … Leonardo aims to finish first AW609 tiltrotor production example by end of 2021 …Leonardo plans to finish its first production example of the AW609 tiltrotor by the end of 2021.
The initial commercial rotorcraft is in final assembly at the manufacturer’s Philadelphia facility, the company says on 22 July.
The Italian firm had previously predicted completion of the first production example in 2020.
Leonardo is also working to expand its Philadelphia manufacturing facility for the AW609, recently acquiring a new building that will be dedicated to the production of the aircraft.
The tiltrotor is currently produced alongside other helicopter types at the company’s campus.
“We are a bit challenged on the production side in physical space,” says Bill Sunick, head of tiltrotor marketing, noting increased production of the light, single-engined AW119Kx and AW139 intermediate-twin.
Leonardo ha annunciato il lancio di una nuova iniziativa per rafforzare la sua posizione di leadership mondiale nel campo degli elicotteri per trasporto VIP/corporate, aprendo la strada a nuove e avanzate soluzioni sostenibili per la mobilità aerea nel campo del volo verticale.
A partire da oggi, Agusta diventa il brand rappresentativo della filosofia e dei valori distintivi di Leonardo in termini di design, tecnologia e servizi nel settore dell’ala rotante per gli impieghi di trasporto executive.
Facendo leva sulla tradizione di un nome iconico fortemente presente nell’industria di settore, e allo stesso tempo simbolo di un impegno a mantenersi sulla frontiera dell’innovazione, Agusta è una combinazione unica di prestazioni senza confronti, confort e raffinato stile italiano.
Leonardo è impegnata a fornire agli operatori, oggi e nel futuro, soluzioni personalizzate senza pari.
Tali soluzioni comprenderanno nuovi servizi operativi dedicati, nuove configurazioni per gli interni e gli allestimenti e nuove possibilità di customizzazione nel settore del trasporto VIP.
… ainonline.com … Fifth Leonardo AW609 Tiltrotor Joins Flight-test Program …Leonardo's first production AW609 civil tiltoror, AC5, has joined the test fleet and will fly soon, after which it will join the ongoing flight-test certification program in Philadelphia, according to William Sunick, the company’s head of tiltrotor marketing.
Rotors turned on AC5 in January and it has already been used for ground-based certification trials, including indirect effects of lightning strikes and high-intensity radiated fields testing.
Components for AC5 were contributed “from across the Leonardo ecosystem,” including PZL-Świdnik in Poland and Leonardo UK, Sunick said.
The new aircraft will boost the test fleet to four - AC2 was lost in a fatal flight testing crash in Italy in 2015.
AC1, which first flew in 2003, is being used for ground testing in Italy along with flying prototype AC4, which recently returned from a demonstration tour in Dubai and was self-deployed from Milan.
AC6, the first customer aircraft (for Bristow Group), is one of three aircraft currently on the line at the AW609 production facility in Philadelphia.
& Leonardo secures new customer for AW609 tiltrotor and targets 2023 service entry ...
By Dominic Perry, Dallas - 8 March 2022
Leonardo Helicopters has bolstered the backlog of its AW609 civil tiltrotor with a four-aircraft commitment from an undisclosed European operator.
To be used for VIP and utility transport missions, the additional tiltrotor orders are a welcome boost for a programme that appeared destined to enter service without a significant backlog in place.
That milestone seems increasingly likely to take place in 2023, and the manufacturer seems ever more confident on its service-entry timeline.
Gian Piero Cutillo, managing director of Leonardo Helicopters, speaking prior to the Heli-Expo show on 7 March, said the addition of a new customer showed positive momentum for the long-running programme.
He is hopeful that US Federal Aviation Administration approval for the AW609 can be achieved late this year or in early 2023, as “we would like to bring this into operational service with the launch customer next year.”
Bristow Helicopters will take the first production helicopter, an aircraft that recently began flight tests from the manufacturer’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania production line.
The new customer, which is already an operator of Leonardo helicopters, will use the four AW609s for passenger transport missions worldwide.
A crucial step on the path to certification should be secured “before the summer break”, says Matteo Ragazzi, Leonardo Helicopters head of engineering, with the issue by the FAA of type inspection authorisation and the start of test flights by the agency’s pilots,
But because the AW609 is the first tiltrotor, with elements of both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, to apply for civil certification, Ragazzi believes the regulator cannot be rushed.
“The FAA is pretty cautious because we are the first of the breed,” he says.
Cutillo says customer interest in the platform has only increased since its appearance last year In Dubai which included participation in the flying display at the air show.
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& & ???Sheikha Mozah bint Marwan Al Maktoum has become the first woman to pilot a Leonardo AW609 civil tiltrotor.
Mozah, an ATP-rated fixed wing and helicopter pilot, is a member of the UAE’s ruling family.
She recently made the flight at Leonardo’s Philadelphia production facility, according to the company (*).
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… ainonline.com … Bristow Flies Leonardo AW609 Tiltorotor …Bryan Willows, Bristow Group’s program manager for advanced air mobility, recently flew the Leonardo AW609 civil tiltrotor in Philadelphia.
Willows is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran with flight experience in the MV-22 Osprey military tiltrotor.
Bristow is the launch customer for the AW609 in the U.S. and is collaborating with Leonardo on modifications, operations, regulations, and maintenance related to the aircraft.
The first Bristow AW609 is on the production line in Philadelphia.
Willows added that “the AW609 is an important aircraft as Bristow helps advance vertical flight technology just like we have for the past 70 plus years.”
… aviation-report.com … All’Air Show di Jesolo presentato per la prima volta al pubblico il convertiplano italiano AW609 di Leonardo …Il convertiplano Leonardo AW609, una tra le innovazioni tecnologiche più significative dell’attuale panorama aeronautico mondiale, ha partecipato con un notevole successo allo Jesolo Air Show 2022.
Si tratta della prima presentazione in Italia nel corso di un evento in grado di coinvolgere il vasto pubblico come quello della manifestazione aerea che si è tenuta ieri 28 agosto 2022 sul litorale della nota località turistica e balneare italiana.
La dimostrazione in volo ha suscitato grande interesse ed entusiasmo da parte del pubblico e delle autorità che hanno potuto assistere alle capacità e alle particolari caratteristiche di volo del convertiplano italiano soprattutto nel momento in cui il velivolo ruotando le gondole dei motori si è “trasformato”, in circa 40 secondi, da velocissimo aereo ad elicottero.
:Grazie, Paolo!JT8D ha scritto: ↑20 ottobre 2022, 19:11Riguardo l'importante notizia già riportata nei post sopra, per completezza riporto l'articolo in italiano pubblicato oggi sul portale
https://www.md80.it/2022/10/20/law609-t ... -aircraft/
Paolo
Leonardo is debuting an air ambulance interior mockup of its AW609 civil tiltrotor this week at the Air Medical Transport Conference in Tampa, Florida.
The AW609 features a 35-inch-wide main cabin door that easily accommodates patient transfer from ground ambulance litter to the aircraft’s medical pedestal.
The cabin is large enough for one patient and four medical attendants or two patients with fewer attendants.
… aviation-report.com … I piloti dell’EASA volano per la prima volta con l’AW609 il convertiplano di Leonardo …I piloti che lavorano per l’Agenzia per la sicurezza aerea dell’Unione europea (EASA) hanno volato per la prima volta con l’AW609 il convertiplano di Leonardo, eguagliando così le loro controparti del regolatore statunitense FAA.
Il 16-17 marzo, a Cascina Costa, l’equipaggio di volo EASA ha preso parte al primo round di attività di familiarizzazione per il programma AW609.
Come detto questa è la prima volta che il personale EASA vola con il convertiplano italiano, dopo che le attività di test di volo pre-TIA (Type Inspection Authorization) della FAA sono state completate il 22 febbraio scorso.
Queste attività di familiarizzazione, che si sono svolte presso la sede del produttore a Cascina Costa rappresentano un passaggio cruciale sulla strada della certificazione europea per la piattaforma.
Il conseguimento della certificazione EASA è un’altra tappa fondamentale per il programma e rappresenta un importante passo avanti nelle fasi finali del processo di certificazione del convertiplano.
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… ainonline.com … FAA Floats Certification Path for Leonardo AW609 Tiltrotor …Dal momento che la certificazione del convertiplano civile Leonardo AW609 sembra essere vicina al traguardo, la FAA ha richiesto oggi un commento pubblico sui criteri di certificazione proposti per il velivolo.
Il periodo di commento si chiude il 10 Luglio.
Sembra che la FAA intenda certificare l'AW609 come velivolo di classe speciale ai sensi del FAR 21.17 (b) e prima di emettere standard formali di aeronavigabilità per i convertiplani, quest'ultimo ampiamente anticipato nel 2024 e che avrà un grande impatto sugli aeromobili eVTOL.
In vista di ciò, la FAA sta annunciando i regolamenti applicabili e altri criteri di aeronavigabilità sviluppati specificamente per l'AW609 che includono parti applicabili degli standard di certificazione sia per gli elicotteri che per i velivoli ad ala fissa secondo i capitoli FAR 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33 e 35.
… ainonline.com … Military Variant of Leonardo AW609 Appears Likely …L'acquisizione, nel 2011, da parte di Leonardo della quota di Bell nel programma del convertiplano AW609 ha sollevato diffuse speculazioni sui termini dell'accordo, in particolare sul fatto che precludesse l'arrivo sul mercato di una versione armata e militarizzata del velivolo.
Tale congettura è aumentata lo scorso anno quando l'Amministratore Delegato di Leonardo Helicopters, Gian Piero Cutillo, ha rivelato che la società ha avviato trattative con il Governo Italiano sull'AW609, forse per sviluppare una versione para-pubblica del velivolo.
… aviationweek.com … Italian Armed Forces Explore Missions For AW609 …Leonardo sta effettuando uno studio con le Forze Armate Italiane su potenziali missioni per il convertiplano commerciale AW609.
Potrebbero seguire dimostrazioni con i prototipi dell’AW609 per esplorare possibili missioni per l’Italia prima della certificazione della piattaforma.
“Le Forze Armate Italiane sono molto interessate al convertiplano e alle missioni che potrebbe svolgere per loro”, ha dichiarato ad Aerospace DAILY il 26 Febbraio Gian Piero Cutillo, Amministratore Delegato di Leonardo Elicotteri, alla vigilia del VAI Heli-Expo.
L'obiettivo è esplorare quali missioni l'AW609 potrebbe svolgere, siano esse trasporto, sorveglianza o ricerca e salvataggio, ha affermato Cutillo.
Lo studio rientra nell'impegno volto a far maturare l'AW609 prima della sua entrata in servizio.
