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Austrian AW169M LUH delivered

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Austrian AW169M LUH delivered

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Old 21st December 2022 | 13:51
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Austrian AW169M LUH delivered

First of 18 x Leonardo AW169M LUH for the Austrian Bundesheer was delivered today. a lot ohr program is done in conjunction with the Italian Ministry of Defence Armaments Procurement.

f




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Old 21st December 2022 | 14:57
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the bald dude in the trenchcoat looks like his hand is placed well for the mission !
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Old 21st December 2022 | 20:12
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Originally Posted by Sir Korsky
the bald dude in the trenchcoat looks like his hand is placed well for the mission !
And the look on his face says it all….
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Old 22nd December 2022 | 08:56
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If you are implying what I think you are, I would rather cut it off.
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Old 23rd December 2022 | 04:07
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Skids are for kids

Seeing skids on the AW169 will take a while to get used to.
Also, interesting mod on the horizontal stabilizers. Anyone know if that has to do with the lack of the wheel type landing gear?

https://www.austrianwings.info/2022/...rst-brumwoski/

Last edited by verticalspin; 23rd December 2022 at 04:12. Reason: Added URL
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Old 23rd December 2022 | 09:15
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Phase 7 upgrade brings a new horizontal stabiliser, nothing to do with the skids but a way smoother ride. Retractable and fixed wheeled landing gear can also have it, optional in either case.
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Old 23rd December 2022 | 10:30
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I see Leonardo are continuing their series of market leading 'coolest stabilisers'
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Old 24th December 2022 | 06:33
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I know the Austrian military uses the Bell 212 or AB212, the Sikorsky UH-60, and now theyve ordered about 30-plus of the AW169. I dont get it, all of these three models are in the same size class; the Bell 212 and UH-60 are designed for military applications - the Bell has a large sliding door with room for a gunner (I know it's an older copter and is being supplanted by the UH60 and AW169) and the UH-60 has a dedicated part of the cabin for a gunner. The AW169 is basically a civilian helicopter shuttling people around, like for EMS for oil & gas and executive duties. The 169 has a somewhat shorter door than the 212 or 60, and can carry 8-10 troops, with a gunner that would occupy lots of door space.
Why did Austria go with the AW169, and not the AW149 (with a door gunner window/area) or just buy more UH60s? Is the AW169 going to fill non-combat military duties?
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Old 24th December 2022 | 06:52
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The 169 is a replacement for the alouette. Also for the 212 the 169 will be a logical “silent” replacement, after a recent avionics “upgrade” fail. It’s a LUH, but more than the 212 in every aspect.

A door gunner is not mandatory in Europe I guess, so not every helicopter is worked around it. By the looks of the US LUH (145) neither is there, with a tiny sliding door.
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Old 24th December 2022 | 09:38
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Originally Posted by Copter Appreciator00
I know the Austrian military uses the Bell 212 or AB212, the Sikorsky UH-60, and now theyve ordered about 30-plus of the AW169. I dont get it, all of these three models are in the same size class; the Bell 212 and UH-60 are designed for military applications - the Bell has a large sliding door with room for a gunner (I know it's an older copter and is being supplanted by the UH60 and AW169) and the UH-60 has a dedicated part of the cabin for a gunner. The AW169 is basically a civilian helicopter shuttling people around, like for EMS for oil & gas and executive duties. The 169 has a somewhat shorter door than the 212 or 60, and can carry 8-10 troops, with a gunner that would occupy lots of door space.
Why did Austria go with the AW169, and not the AW149 (with a door gunner window/area) or just buy more UH60s? Is the AW169 going to fill non-combat military duties?

they also operate the Bell OH-58C Kiowa and my photos from AirPower





And that used for training as well as light observation / gunship role.

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Old 24th December 2022 | 09:40
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Originally Posted by Phoinix
The 169 is a replacement for the alouette. Also for the 212 the 169 will be a logical “silent” replacement, after a recent avionics “upgrade” fail. It’s a LUH, but more than the 212 in every aspect.

A door gunner is not mandatory in Europe I guess, so not every helicopter is worked around it. By the looks of the US LUH (145) neither is there, with a tiny sliding door.
Actually the 169M is the silent replacement for the OH-58C Kiowa, as speaking to VSOs of the Bundesheer …longer term plan is for the AW169M to fulfill role of basic RW trainer .

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Old 24th December 2022 | 10:12
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Wait to see what the serviceability is like. If U.K. vip and hems airframes are anything to go by….
I can’t see the culture in Austria accepting sub standard rates. But then maybe that’s why instead of open competition it was a gov to gov deal otherwise would anyone have bought it outside of the home nation? Some small but also big shoes to fill.
How long before the Bundesheer decide more Blackhawks would have better replaced the 212’s. They’ve had such success with them and even upgraded them.

it’s akin to someone taking our lovely 175’s up north and selling to a military force somewhere. Just ask why the French have introduced almost all Airbus types into their military and para public fleets, but not the 175.
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Old 24th December 2022 | 10:42
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One things for sure the maintenance guys will seem become adept at changing main rotor damper links.
They still fail at an alarming rate.

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Old 24th December 2022 | 10:44
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From: The 4th dimentia.....
Think they have failed lately on some 109’s in the U.K. also.
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Old 24th December 2022 | 13:30
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Originally Posted by Phoinix
The 169 is a replacement for the alouette. Also for the 212 the 169 will be a logical “silent” replacement, after a recent avionics “upgrade” fail. It’s a LUH, but more than the 212 in every aspect.

A door gunner is not mandatory in Europe I guess, so not every helicopter is worked around it. By the looks of the US LUH (145) neither is there, with a tiny sliding door.
It was around 7 years ago, the upgrades to their Ab-212 were done , I think by RUAG Aerospace, (it was back at Austrian Helidays 2016 my pics below the pilots told me)




Btw said Ab-212 pilot was coming to RAF Linton-on-Ouse for the EDA Helicopter Tactics Course week after the show finished...

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Old 27th December 2022 | 18:27
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Originally Posted by Northernstar
Wait to see what the serviceability is like. If U.K. vip and hems airframes are anything to go by….
I can’t see the culture in Austria accepting sub standard rates. But then maybe that’s why instead of open competition it was a gov to gov deal otherwise would anyone have bought it outside of the home nation? Some small but also big shoes to fill.
How long before the Bundesheer decide more Blackhawks would have better replaced the 212’s. They’ve had such success with them and even upgraded them.

it’s akin to someone taking our lovely 175’s up north and selling to a military force somewhere. Just ask why the French have introduced almost all Airbus types into their military and para public fleets, but not the 175.
Newest 169s out the factory do a lot better than the earlier models still being flown in UK HEMS. I think 3 of those are actually pre-production and have prototype maintenance manuals for their parts.

The spanky new ones coming out are doing really well, very little down time in comparison. Like any type, there’s nothing better than maturing.

Damper links still go all the time but a lateral wiggle between the blades during the preflight will easily pick up a link about to go. If you can feel it then the link probably has 5-10hrs left on it and engineers are so used to changing them now it can be done in less than an hour.
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Old 27th December 2022 | 18:30
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A new damper link is pending certification (march 23’). Let’s see what happens.
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Old 30th December 2022 | 11:42
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Aye - it’s a Swiss cheese module waiting to bite - regular changing of dampers - what could possibly go wrong ??
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Old 31st December 2022 | 07:47
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A basic RW trainer? A complex, four-axis AP, multi-engine full FADEC, 5 ton... basic trainer?

I know the modern youth will need to be trained in AP from the start, but that's pushing it a bit?
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Old 31st December 2022 | 08:55
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Originally Posted by Phoinix
A basic RW trainer? A complex, four-axis AP, multi-engine full FADEC, 5 ton... basic trainer?
’Tis the modern way. The British military now use the EC135 as their ‘basic’ rotary trainer.

And several militaries use a variant of the 109.
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