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Old 6th Feb 2012, 14:27
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Savoia
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Milano, Italia
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This is disappointing as the 'Legacy' sleigh-type gear gave the 429 remarkably clean lines (first image) compared with the 'Production' gear (second image) which I think looks pretty glum!

For non-utility applications the best bet for re-acquiring some of the 429's external esthetics might be for Bell to return to their proposal of offering a retractable undercarriage version (third image) so long as Agusta don't turn around and say this is a rip-off of the 109 arrangement!

I'm not even sure if these so called 'sleigh' type skids are even a Eurocopter innovation - if memory serves the first ever appearance of sleigh 'type' skids was debuted by MDH in the late 80's in their concept drawings for the MDX (fourth image) and it is from here I believe Eurocopter drew their inspiration for the Colibri's undercarriage.








MDX Concept drawing (Flight International 28th January 1989)
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