AW209? A new AgustaWestland Helico?

[laurenson]

According to Mr Moretti presentation, Agustawestland develops a new helicopter the AW209


Leonardo Helicopters may be making the AW209 Helicopter

http://www.helipress.it/documenti/fi...ages/aw209.jpg

all bets are off...

Personally I bet on a 3/3.5t twin engines to face H135/Bell 429....

[HeliHenri]

Hello laurenson
The AW109 Trekker is a 3.2t twin engines and should be certified at the end of the yrear.
Do you mean the AW209 will already replace her ?

[laurenson]

The only think I know is from this article. Mr Moretti has said “Over the next five years we will invest in the AW149, AW609 and AW209”

Moreover AW names are not related to weight, it is just an historical liste.

first AW139 (6/7t) - AW149 8t - AW159 - AW169 4t - AW179 (cancceled project for SW-5 PZL Swidnik) - AW189 8/9t - AW199 (Not yet known) and now AW209.

[chopper2004]

Last year around the summer time there were rumours that then AW were looking at developing a high speed medium rotorcraft. But no official press release at Le Bourget let alone the centenary of AW the following month.

cheers

[chopper2004]

Leonardo Helicopters may be making the AW209 Helicopter

cheers

[laurenson]

nice pic
However a clamshell with a such tail rotor, it means that you have to stop the rotor before using the rear dors.

[tottigol]

That did not keep Bell from doing just that in the 429.

[laurenson]

And that is why the Bell 429 is far less used in EMS than a H135 or an H145.

[tottigol]

No, it's less used because you can only go 30 miles with a heavy patient onboard.

[noooby]

APU mode (already on the 169) would allow you to quickly stop the rotors with one engine still running, negating the risk of walking into the tail rotor, but still allowing quick loading through the clamshell.

Would love to see a video of the APU mode in operation on the 169. Evidently it is quite well like by the operators.