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.

FMI: www.agustawestland.com