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World Aviation Defense & Security Industry News - Leonardo
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Leonardo's AW609 TiltRotor program moves toward certification
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Leonardo-Finmeccanica announced today that the first flying AW609 prototype has arrived in Philadelphia following a recent resumption of flight testing. Departing from Arlington, Texas, the aircraft’s flight plan included an overnight stop in Huntsville, Ala, before arriving in Philadelphia on Wednesday, August 10.
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 Leonardo recently resumed test flights with its AW609 first prototype(Credit: Leonardo-Finmeccanica) |
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With industrialization underway, Leonardo-Finmeccanica has expanded the AW609 TiltRotor program to include the company’s Philadelphia facility. The involvement of the Philadelphia site in the AW609 program represents the anticipated progression towards assembly and certification with the FAA as the certification authority. Facilities in the Italy, UK and Poland continue to play critical production roles.
While this flying prototype will soon be relocated to Italy, flight testing activities in Philadelphia will continue upon the arrival of an AW609 recently assembled and ground tested in Italy. Another AW609 is being assembled in Philadelphia with plans to enter the test fleet in 2017. Certification of the first commercial tiltrotor is expected in 2018, with deliveries to customers to follow. The AW609 is a twin-engined tiltrotor VTOL aircraft with a configuration similar to the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. AW609, formerly the Bell/Agusta BA609, is a twin-engined tiltrotor VTOL aircraft with a configuration similar to the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. The AW609 is powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67A turboshaft engines, which each drive a three-bladed proprotor. On 10 November 2015, United Arab Emirates selected a search and rescue variant of the AW609, ordering three with an option for three more. |
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