First two BA609 Tiltrotor prototypes fly in December

The first two prototypes of the BA609, the world's first civil tiltrotor are nearing completion. Prototypes Nos 3 and 4 are scheduled to be completed during 2002. Bell-Helicopter will produce a total of four prototype tiltrotor aircraft for flight-testing and certification.

Prototype No 1, whose wing and fuselage were mated last November, at Bell's Flight Research Centre, Arlington, Texas, is scheduled to begin engine run-up by November 2001, with first flight scheduled for late this year. First deliveries are planned for 2004 following the flight test program and certification.

Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company (BAAC) is a joint venture between Bell Helicopter, a Textron company, and Agusta SpA, an Agusta-Westland company, to design, develop, produce and market the BA 609 civil tiltrotor and the AB139, which is a new, modern twin engine helicopter. .

BAAC reports 80 advance orders for the 609 tiltrotor from 42 different customers in 18 different countries.

Final assembly for production aircraft will take place at Bell's Amarillo facility in Texas,with another assembly line to be established at the Agusta plant in Italy. Fuji Heavy Industries of Japan has the contract to build all of the production fuselages for the BA609. All parts and components for both lines will come from the exact same source yielding aircraft that will be identical whether assembled in Italy or Texas.

BA 609 customer training will be done at the Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company headquarters, located at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, which will also serve as a delivery centre.

With its rotors in the vertical position, the tiltrotor is able to take-off, land and hover like a traditional helicopter. When the rotors are tilted forward to the horizontal position, the aircraft is able to fly with the high speed and range of a turboprop fixed wing aircraft. The transition from helicopter mode to aircraft mode normally takes 30 seconds, as does the transition from aircraft mode to helicopter mode. This versatile capability enables the BA609 to fly with twice the speed and range of conventional helicopters.

The BA609 will cruise at 275 knots with a maximum unrefuelled range of 750 nautical miles, 1,000 nautical miles with auxiliary fuel tanks. The aircraft in standard configuration is pressurised to fly at altitudes up to 25,000 feet and incorporates ice protection to allow flight into known icing conditions.

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