The AW609 tiltrotor program marked a new milestone in the industry’s capabilities following the first successful ship trial, which was recently conducted with the support of the Italian Navy.
Leonardo press release
From April 3 to 12, the AW609 AC4 aircraft, fully representative of the final production configuration, performed demonstration trials moving from the Leonardo facility in Cascina Costa (Samarate) to the Maristaer Grottaglie Naval Base. The tiltrotor, with test pilots and test engineers from Leonardo (supported by Italian Navy personnel for the embarked operations), took off from the base en route to the Italian aircraft carrier (IT’S CAVOUR – Navy Fleet Flagship), 20 nm offshore, demonstrating its effective approach, stable deck landing and landing capabilities.
During the demonstration, the AW609 provided a unique opportunity to further raise awareness of the remarkable benefits of Leonardo’s tiltrotor in a specific maritime environment. This is testament to the fact that the world’s first tiltrotor to achieve civil certification meets demanding operational and safety standards. It is therefore ideally positioned to meet a range of government and public service needs, in Italy and globally.
Integral to the demonstration phase was an initial test campaign, developed and executed in a fully synthetic environment, using the AW609 development/engineering simulator, located at Cascina Costa. Digital twin applications provided a preliminary assessment of the activities and maneuvers, which were carried out later during the operation for capacity development, time reduction, safety and sustainability. Deck landing and take-off procedures were performed in more than 15 different conditions (including wind conditions), including straight in and lateral approach, vertical landing, vertical take-off and side exit.
The demonstration tests are the final step taken in the framework of the activities carried out by a joint working group established in 2022 and composed of Leonardo, the Italian Navy, the Italian Army and Guardia di Finanza (the Italian Customs Police). The working group aims to evaluate the potential of tiltrotor technologies as complementary capabilities to those already in use by government agencies, providing high-speed long-range capabilities with vertical take-off and landing and high-speed, above-weather cruising thanks to the unique capabilities of the AW609. pressurized cabin and high altitude performance. The assessment carried out by the working group would help define the benefits for logistics transport (vertical take-off/landing, long range, high-speed point-to-point service with above-weather cruises) and, later in the future, maritime transport. surveillance (vertical take-off/landing, rapid transfer to patrol area and increased area coverage).
“High-speed helicopter technologies remain at the core of our forward-looking vertical lift capability development and value proposition, which has been extensively demonstrated by progress with the AW609 tiltrotor program. The recent naval tests in Italy, with the strong support of the Italian Navy, in the framework of the working group that also includes the Italian Army and the Guardia di Finanza, represent an important step towards the development of government applications, while strengthening our position to strengthen leadership. tiltrotor-based initiatives internationally and to meet future new requirements.”
Lorenzo Mariani, Co-General Manager of Leonardo
“The success of these tests provided an important milestone in the demonstration of capabilities to showcase the unique benefits of tiltrotors, and in particular that of the AW609, through a combination of high performance and versatility, which remains unrivaled in the vertical flight sector . This experience provides an important opportunity to appreciate the benefits that can truly revolutionize a range of missions or even open up new operational possibilities. We thank all our partners in this demonstration and for the studies conducted we look forward to moving to the next phases of the evaluation.”
Gian Piero Cutillo, General Manager of Leonardo Helicopters
After the first ship pilot campaign, Leonardo will begin a detailed evaluation and analysis of the data collected. These would enable potential follow-up trials to better refine the approach and encourage further platform improvements to operate in the maritime/onboard environment.
The AW609 excels at providing rapid point-to-point transport over long distances, enabling timely access to remote locations, and can accommodate up to nine passengers in the comfort of a pressurized cabin. Therefore, it is designed to transform a variety of missions, including public services. and government roles. Program development has logged more than 1,900 flight hours in Italy and the US to date.
It leverages unique industrial and technological capabilities and skills, making Leonardo a leading player in the rapidly emerging field of high-speed helicopters, where tiltrotor architectures are increasingly proving to be the best solution to meet future operational needs.