Sun, Apr 27, 2014
Flight Tests Included More Than 70 Power-Off Conversions To Helicopter Mode
Autorotation trials for the AW609 TiltRotor program have been completed successfully, according to AgustaWestland. Between the end of March and early April 10 dedicated flight hours saw more than 70 power-off conversions from airplane mode to helicopter mode flown from the Arlington, TX facility. The tests were flown under auspices of FAA and covered the full wind-milling and autorotation envelopes, marking another major achievement for the program development.
The handling qualities of the aircraft were very benign throughout the testing and the performance of the aircraft exceeded expected characteristics seen during preparation in the engineering simulator in Arlington Texas. Together, the test pilots and engineers were able to develop the best flight maneuvers that will ultimately allow training of commercial pilots in the planned full flight simulator. This latest goal provides further evidence of the AW609’s quality in terms of design, performance and safety in the most demanding conditions.
This accomplishment follows the completion of the AW609 flight envelope expansion trials in December 2013. The concurrent industrialization phase of the AW609 is also taking shape across the AgustaWestland network and associated supply chain, with new equipment and tooling being acquired to guarantee existing orders can start to be fulfilled immediately after FAA type certification.
(Image provided by AgustaWestland)
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]