AgustaWestland Casts Positive Light On Troubled Program
The second prototype
Bell/Agusta BA609 is making its first-ever appearance at the
Farnborough International Airshow, as AgustaWestland hopes to
capture new orders for the commercial tiltrotor aircraft amidst
signs interest in the program from the Bell half of that
partnership is waning.
AgustaWestland calls the BA609 "one of the most significant
technological developments in the aeronautical world," touting the
tiltrotor's "green and efficient" operations. The aircraft uses the
same principles seen on the US military's V-22 Osprey, scaled down
for operations in the commercial and business aircraft markets.
Agusta flew the prototype BA609 to Farnborough from Italy for the
show.
First announced in 1998, full-size mockups of the BA609 have
been fixtures at industry trade shows for several years... but
actual progress on the program has been slow in coming. Most of the
80 orders for the 6-9 passenger aircraft have been on the books for
a decade, and the initial $10 million asking price has skyrocketed
to somewhere south of twice that amount. So far, only two of a
planned four prototypes have taken flight.
Originally touted as an innovative alternative to corporate
helicopters and turboprop fixed-wing transports, the BA609 was to
be the flagship corporate offering from Bell and Agusta... but
officials at the American helicopter manufacturer have recently
signalled the market they once saw for the aircraft
has declined significantly in today's economic
conditions.
As ANN reported earlier this month, Bell
officials have said privately the cost/benefit equation simply
doesn't work at a targeted asking price of $15-$20 million. The
Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram reported that in comments to a group
of Bell engineers this year, CEO Dick Millman said the BA609 "ends
up costing so much there will not be much of a market for it in my
opinion."
Bell has since asked Agusta to handle a larger share of the
BA609's development chores... something the Italian company had
wanted early on, though it's uncertain whether Agusta still wants
to handle the brunt of the program now.
In more positive news, Agusta says the company's flight test
program has validated the BA609's unique flight envelope, including
flight at altitudes up to 25,000 feet and speeds up to 310 knots,
all at the maximum weight. The test program continues to check all
the points of the flight envelope as required by both the FAA and
EASA.
Agusta believes the BA609 is the most suitable, flexible, and
versatile aircraft for many Homeland Security operations,
surveillance and control of illegal traffic and immigration, search
and rescue with the possibility to rescue people at more that 500
kilometers from the coast.
Bell/Agusta and the FAA continue to work closely with EASA to
achieve a dual FAA/EASA certification by 2011/early 2012, the
company added.