The first ground tests for the third prototype of the AgustaWestland AW609 TiltRotor (A / C3), recently carried out at the Leonardo-Finmeccanica plant in Cascina Costa di Samarate, were successfully completed. The event, technically called "ground run", represents a milestone in the path towards certification of the new aircraft, scheduled for 2018.
The AW609 A / C3 has made its first ground tests with engines and all systems fully operational. The first flight is scheduled for the summer, after the aircraft has been transferred to the US plant in Philadelphia, where the experimental activities aimed at the American FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) certification of the world's first commercial tiltrotor will continue. The testing activities of the A / C3 will then continue in winter, to test the ability of the tiltrotor to fly in difficult weather and environmental conditions, such as the presence of ice.
The AW609 is able to take off and land vertically on restricted areas like a conventional helicopter, flying with a maximum speed of over 500 km / h at an altitude close to 8.000 meters. The tiltrotor will mark a new era for civil aviation, as it will be able to carry out missions previously impossible for any other type of commercial aircraft, thanks to its range, which can reach up to 2.000 km with auxiliary tanks, and the pressurized cabin, typical of an airplane. For rescue tasks, for example, the AW609 will maintain the flexibility of the helicopter in reaching the patient, while reducing intervention times.
The ground tests of the A / C3 follow the resumption of tests for the first prototype (A / C1), carried out on April 15th. The fourth AW609 prototype (A / C4) is currently being assembled in Philadelphia, with testing scheduled for 2017. Deliveries of the first aircraft will begin immediately after certification.
