Update: An AgustaWestland official now says that AW CEO Giuseppe Orsi DID NOT say that Bell had agreed to turn over BA609 technology to AgustaWestland, as was first reported on the link below. Bell has also denied such an agreement.
Here's the earlier report:
Report out of the Heli-Expo trade show says AgustaWestland CEO Giuseppe Orsi says final negotiations are under way for
the Italian firm to take over full control of BA609 civil tilt-rotor aircraft development.
These negotiations have been under way, sort of, for years but Orsi says that Bell has now agreed to turn control of the technology to AgustaWestland.
Bell spokesman Robert Hastings, following up on comments made by Bell CEO John Garrison, just issued the following statement to the Star-Telegram which suggests that either Orsi was misquoted, misinterpreted or Agusta and Bell are still not on the same wave length.
"Bell remains committed to certifying and delivering the worlds first commercial tiltrotor. We continue to work with Augusta to determine the best way to certify and bring the 609 to market," Hastings said.
Bell launched work on the civilian tilt-rotor aircraft, based on the same technology as the V-22 Osprey, back in the latter 1990s with Boeing as an initial partner. Agusta bought into the program later and has always been much more enthusiastic about its market potential than a series of Bell executives, who were always more focused on U.S. military aircraft programs and have only incrementally funded development work.
- Bob Cox