AgustaWestland AW109

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The AgustaWestland AW109 is a lightweight, twin-engine,

eight-seat multi-purpose helicopter built by the AngloItalian manufacturer AgustaWestland. The rotorcraft had the
destinction of being the first all-Italian helicopter to be mass-

AW109

produced.[1]
Developed as the A109 by Agusta, it originally entered
service in 1976 and has since been used in various roles,
including light transport, medevac, search-and-rescue, and
military roles. The AW109 has been in continuous
production for 40 years. The AgustaWestland AW119 is a
derivative of the AW109, the main difference being that it is
powered only by a single engine instead.

Contents
1 Development
1.1 Origins
1.2 Further development

Two civilian AW109 helicopters at Rand Airport Air

Show 2011
Role

SAR/utility helicopter

Manufacturer

Agusta
AgustaWestland

First flight

4 August 1971

Introduction

1976

Status

Active service/In production

Primary users

Italian Army
Belgium Air Force
REGA (Swiss Air Rescue)
Royal New Zealand Air Force

Produced

1971-present

Unit cost

US$ 6.3 million

Variants

AgustaWestland AW109S Grand

2 Design
3 Operational History
4 Variants
5 Operators
5.1 Military and government operators
5.2 Former military operators
6 Accidents
7 Displayed
8 Specifications (AW109 Power with PW206C)
9 See also
10 References
10.1 Citations

Developed into AgustaWestland AW119

10.2 Bibliography
11 External links

Development
Origins
In the late 1960s, Agusta designed the A109 originally as a single-engine
commercial helicopter.[2] However, it was soon realised that a twinengine design was needed and it was re-designed in 1969 with two
Allison 250-C14 turboshaft engines. A projected military version (the
A109B) was considered early on but Agusta initially chose not to pursue
immediate development, instead concentrating on the eight-seat A109C
version.[3] The first of three prototypes made its maiden flight on 4
August 1971.[4] The A109's flight testing phase was prolonged, this was
due in part to the discovery of dynamic instability which took a year to

Agusta A109 K2 of the Rega over

Mount Pilatus

resolve via a modified transmission design;[5] this led to the first

production aircraft being completed almost four years later in April 1975. On 1 June 1975, certification for
visual flight rules (VFR) upon the A109 was received from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).[2]

In 1976, deliveries of production A109 to customers began. Advantages over the then-market leading Bell 206
were the A109's superior speed, twin-engine redundancy, and greater seating capacity.[2] In 1975, Agusta
returned again to the possibility of a military version, thus a series of trials were carried out between 1976 and
1977 using a total of five A109As outfitted with Hughes Aircraft-built TOW missiles. Two military versions
emerged from this program, one was intended for light attack/close support missions and the other for shipboard
operations.[6]

Further development
Improved civil versions quickly followed on from the initial production
model; in 1981, a A109A Mk2 with a widened cabin was made available
to operators.[7] In 1993, the A109 K2 was introduced using a new
powerplant, a pair of Turbomeca Arriel 1K1 engines; this was followed
by the A109 Power, broadly similar to the K2 except for the use of Pratt
& Whitney Canada PW206 engines instead, in 1996.[2] According to
AgustaWestland, the A109 Power was in service in 46 countries by
2008. In 2006, an enlarged variant, the A109S Grand, was introduced.[2]

A Belgian AW109 Power performing

a display flight, 2013

The Agusta A109 was renamed the AW109 following the July 2000
merger of Finmeccanica S.p.A. and GKN plc's respective helicopter
subsidiaries Agusta and Westland Helicopters to form AgustaWestland. Since the mid-1990s, fuselages for the

AW109 have been manufactured by PZL-widnik, which became a subsidiary company of AgustaWestland in
2010. In June 2006, the 500th fuselage was delivered by PZL-widnik, marking 10 years of co-operation on the
AW109 between the two companies.[8] In 2004, AgustaWestland formed a joint venture with Changhe Aircraft
Industries Corporation for the support and production of the AW109; by 2009, the joint venture was capable to
perform final assembly of the AW109, as well as manufacture major sections such as the fuselage.[9]
In February 2014, AgustaWestland revealed that it was developing the AW109 Trekker, an updated variant of
the AW109. It is equipped with skid landing gear (the first helicopter by AgustaWestland to have this feature)
and is powered by a pair of FADEC-equipped Pratt & Whitney Canada PW207C engines; its avionics are
supplied by Genesys Aerospace, which have been designed for single-pilot operations.[10] The Trekker
reportedly advances upon the standard AW109's utility capabilities.[11] As per prior AW109 versions, the final
assembly of the Trekker is undertaken at sites in both the US and Italy.[2][12]

Design
The AW109 is a lightweight twin-engine helicopter, known for its speed,
elegant appearance and ease of control.[2][13][14] Since entering
commercial service, several revisions and iterations have been made,
frequently introducing new avionics and engine technologies.
AgustaWestland have promoted the type for its multirole capabilities and
serviceability. The type has proven highly popular with VIP/corporate
An AW109 in flight, 2013
customers; according to AgustaWestland, 50% of all of the AW109
Power variant had been sold in such configurations. Other roles for the
AW109 have included emergency medical services, law enforcement, homeland security missions, harbor pilot
shuttle duty, search and rescue, maritime operations, and military uses.[2] In 2008, AgustaWestland claimed the
AW109 to be "one of the industrys best-selling helicopters".[2]
A range of turboshaft powerplants have been used to power the numerous variants of the AW109, from the
original Allison 250-C14 engines to the Turbomeca Arriel 1K1 and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW206 of more
modern aircraft.[2] Powerplants can be replaced or swapped for during airframe overhauls, resulting in
increasing lifting capacity and other performance changes. In the case of single-engine failure, the AW109 is
intended to be have a generous power reserve even on a single engine.[7] The engines drive a fully articulated
four-blade rotor system.[15] Over time, more advanced rotor blade designs have been progressively adopted for
the AW109's main and tail rotors, such as composite materials being used to replace bonded metal,[16] these
improvements have typically been made with the aim of reducing operating costs and noise signature.
According to Rotor&Wing, the type is well regarded for its "high, hot, and heavy" performance.[2]
According to AgustaWestland, the AW109 Power features various advanced avionics systems, these include a
three-axis autopilot, an auto-coupled Instrument Landing System, integrated GPS, a Moving Map Display,
weather radar, and a Traffic Alerting System.[17] These systems are designed to reduce pilot workload (the
AW109 can be flown under single or dual-pilot instrument flight rules (IFR)) and enable the use of night vision
goggles (NVG) to conduct day-or-night operations.[18] The AW109 has a forced trim system which can be
readily and selectively activated by the controlling pilot using triggers located on the cyclic and collective

which hold the control inputs at the last set position if activated.[2][15] All critical systems are deliberately
redundant for fail-safe operations; the hydraulic system, hydraulic actuators, and electrical system are all duelredundant, while the power inverters are triple-redundant.[7] The AW109 also has reduced maintenance
requirements due to an emphasis on reliability across the range of components used.[18]
Some models of the AW109 feature the "quick convertible interior", a
cabin configuration designed to be flexibly re-configured to allow the
rotorcraft to be quickly adapted for different roles, such as the
installation or removal of mission consoles or medical stretchers.
Mission-specific equipment can also be installed in the externally
accessible separate baggage compartment, which can be optionally
expanded. Optional cabin equipment includes soundproofing, air
conditioning, and bleed air heating.[18] Aftermarket cabin configurations
are offered by third parties; Pininfarina and Versace have both offered
designer interiors for the AW109, while Aerolite Max Bucher has
Head-on view of a low-flying AW109,
2008

developed a lightweight emergency medical service interior.[2] The

majority of AW109s are fitted with a retractable wheeled tricycle
undercarriage, providing greater comfort than skids and taxiing

capability.[13][14] For shipboard operations, the wheeled landing gear is

reinforced, deck mooring points are fixed across the lower fuselage, and extensive corrosion protection is
typically applied.[19]
Optional mission equipment for the AW109 has included dual controls, a rotor brake, windshield wipers, a fixed
cargo hook, snow skis, external loudspeakers, wire-strike protection system, engine particle separator, engine
compartment fire extinguishers, datalink, and rappelling fittings.[18] A range of armaments can be installed upon
the AW109, including pintle-mounted machine guns, machine gun pods, 20mm cannons, rocket pods, anti-tank
missiles and air-to-air missiles.[19][20] Those AW109s operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, later designated as
MH-68A, had the following equipment installed: a rescue hoist, emergency floats, FLIR, Spectrolab NightSun
search light, a 7.62 mm M240D machine gun and a Barrett M107 semi-automatic .50 caliber anti-material rifle
with laser sight.[21]

Operational History
Various branches of the Italian military have operated variants of the AW109; the Guardia di Finanza has
operated its own variant of the AW109 since the 1980s for border patrol and customs duties, by 2010, it was in
the process of replacing its original AW109s with a new-generation of AW109s.[1]
In 1982, the Argentine Army Aviation deployed three A109As to the Falkland Islands during the Falklands War.
They operated with the helicopter fleet (9 UH-1H, 2 CH-47C and 2 Pumas) in reconnaissance and liaison roles.
One of the helicopters was destroyed on the ground by a British Harrier attack; the others were captured and
sent to Europe in HMS Fearless (L10). The British Army Air Corps decided to use those helicopters in domestic
operations (being flown by 8 Flight AAC to support SAS regiment deployments in the UK), alongside two

additional A109 which were purchased later following favorable use of

the first two; all were retired in 2009.[22][23] The AW109 has also been
operated by No. 32 Squadron of the Royal Air Force to transport
members of the British Royal Family.[24]
In 1988, 46 A109s were sold to the Belgian Armed Forces; it was later
alleged that Agusta had given the Belgian Socialist Party over 50 million
Belgian francs as a bribe to secure the sale. The resulting scandal led to
the resignation and later conviction of NATO Secretary General Willy
Claes.[25] Belgium has operated an A109 aerial display team.[26] In early
2013, a pair of Belgian AW109s were deployed to Svar, Mali, to
perform medical evacuation mission in support of the French-led

Helicopters of the 601 Assault

Helicopter Battalion of the Argentine
Army during the Falklands War, 1982

Operation Serval.[27] In June 2013, Belgian newspaper La Libre Belgique alleged that several former Belgian
military helicopters had been sold via a private company to South Sudan in violation of an European Union
embargo on weapons sales.[28][29]
In the 1990s, the US Coast Guard, seeking to tackle drug trafficking on
small speed boats via armed aerial interdiction helicopters, evaluated
several options and selected the AW109 as the winner. For a number of
years, eight armed AW109s, designated MH-68A Sting Ray, were leased
from AgustaWestland and deployed at Coast Guard land facilities and
onboard cutters. Positive experience with the AW109 led to the Coast
Guard deciding to arm all of its helicopters and, following adaptions of
their existing assets, the AW109s were returned after the lease
Pair of South African Air Force
(SAAF) A109s landing in formation

expired.[2]
In September 1999, the South African Air Force (SAAF) placed an order
for 30 AW109s;[2] 25 of the 30 rotorcraft was assembled locally by

Denel Aviation, starting in 2003.[30][31] As many as 16 SAAF AW109s were deployed for patrol, utility, and
medical evacuation missions during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[32] In July 2013, the SAAF reported that 18
AW109s had effectively been grounded due to lack of funding, these rotorcraft being only occasionally
activated but not conducting flights; in 2013, only 71 flight hours were allocated to the whole AW109 fleet. The
type may be reduced to flying VIPs rather than being operationally capable; South Africa is also considering
selling a number of AW109s, and may cease helicopter operations altogether.[33]
In 2001, 20 AW109s were ordered for the Swedish Armed Forces, receiving the Swedish military designation of
HKp-15B.[2] In 2010, it was reported that considerable demands were being placed upon the AW109 fleet, in
part due to the delayed delivery of the NHIndustries NH90.[34] In early 2015, a pair of Swedish AW109s were
deployed on board the Royal Netherlands Navy ship HNLMS Johan de Witt, their first-ever deployment on
board a foreign vessel, in support of a multinational anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia; the AW109
reportedly achieve a 100% availability rate over the course of three months.[35]

Between 2007 and 2012, three AW109E Power helicopters were operated under lease by the Royal Australian
Navy (RAN) to train naval aircrew.[36] In May 2008, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) placed an
order for five AW109LUH rotorcraft to replace their aging Bell 47 Sioux
in a training capacity; they are also used in the utility role to compliment
the larger NHIndustries NH90 and has seen limited use in VIP
missions.[37]
In August 2008, Scott Kasprowicz and Steve Sheik broke the round-theworld speed record using a factory-standard AgustaWestland AW109S
Grand, with a time of 11 days, 7 hours and 2 minutes. The AW109S
Grand is also recorded as being the fastest helicopter from New York to
Los Angeles.[38][39]

An Australian AW109 during a rescue

demonstration, 2008

In 2013, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the Philippine Navy
independently ordered batches of AW109 Power rotorcraft; additional AW109s were ordered in 2014.[40] The
PAF AW109s are used as armed gunships, while both armed and unarmed AW109s are operated by the
Philippine Navy.[41][42]

Variants
A109A
The first production model, powered by two Allison Model 250C20 turboshaft engines. It made its first flight on 4 August 1971.
Initially, the A109 was marketed under the name of "Hirundo"
(Latin for the swallow), but this was dropped within a few years.
A109A EOA
Military version for the Italian Army.
A109A Mk.II
Upgraded civilian version of the A109A.
A109A Mk.II MAX
Agusta A109 of the Italian police
Aeromedical evacuation version based on A109A Mk.II with extra
wide cabin and access doors hinged top and bottom, rather than to
one side.
A109B
Unbuilt military version.
A109C
Eight-seat civil version, powered by two Allison Model 250C20R-1 turboshaft engines.[14]
A109C MAX
Aeromedical evacuation version based on A109C with extra-wide
cabin and access doors hinged top and bottom, rather than to one
Dyfed-Powys Police Air Support Unit
Helicopter (X-Ray 99) demonstration
side.[43]
A109D
at police HQ Open Day 2008
One prototype only
A109E Power
Upgraded civilian version, initially powered by two Turbomeca Arrius 2K1 engines. Later the
manufacturer introduced an option for two Pratt & Whitney PW206C engines to be used both versions

remain known as the A109E. Marketed as the AW109E and Power.

A109E Power Elite
A stretched cabin version of A109E Power. Features a glass cockpit with two complete sets of pilot
instruments and navigation systems, including a three-axis autopilot, an auto-coupled Instrument Landing
System and GPS.[17]
A109LUH
Military LUH "Light Utility Helicopter" variant based on the A109E Power. Operators include South
African Air Force, Swedish Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nigerian Air Force, as well as
Algeria and Malaysia.
MH-68A
Eight A109E Power aircraft were used by the United States Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical
Squadron Jacksonville (HITRON Jacksonville) as short-range armed interdiction helicopters from 2000
until 2008, when they were replaced with MH-65C Dolphins.[44] Agusta designated these armed
interdiction aircraft as "Mako" until the U.S. Coast Guard officially named it the MH-68A Stingray in
2003.[21]
A109K
Military version.
A109K2
High-altitude and high-temperature operations with fixed wheels rather than the retractable wheels of
most A109 variants. Typically used by police, search and rescue, and air ambulance operators.
A109M
Military version.
A109 km
Military version for high altitude and high temperature operations.
A109KN
Naval version.
A109CM
Standard military version.
A109GdiF
Version for Guardia di Finanza, the Italian Finance Guard.
A109BA
Version created for the Belgian Army. Based on the A109C with fixed landing gear.
A109S Grand
Marketed as the AW109 Grand, it is a lengthened cabin-upgraded civilian version with two Pratt &
Whitney Canada PW207 engines and lengthened main rotor blades with different tip design from the
Power version.
AW109SP
AW109 Grand New
single IFR, TAWS and EVS, especially for EMS.
AW109 Trekker
A variant of the GrandNew with fixed landing skids.[45]

Operators
The AW109 is flown by a range of operators including private companies, military services, emergency services
and air charter companies.

Military and government operators

Algeria
Gendarmerie Nationale[46]
Algerian police[47]
Albania
Albanian Air Force[48]
Bangladesh
Bangladesh Navy[48]
Belgium
Belgian Air Component[48]

Agusta AW109E Power operated by

CareFlight International Air
Ambulance

Bulgaria
Bulgarian Border Police[49]
Chile
Carabineros de Chile[50]
Greece
Hellenic Air Force[51]

AW109E Power from the Bangladesh

Navy

Italy
Carabinieri[52][53]
Guardia di Finanza[54]
Italian Army[48]
Vigili del Fuoco[55]
Italian State Police[56]
Latvia
State Border Guard[57]
Malaysia
Malaysian Army[48]
New Zealand
Royal New Zealand Air Force[48]

Belgian Air Component A109BA

anti-tank variant.

Nigeria
Nigerian Air Force[48]
Nigerian Navy[48]
Oman
Royal Oman Police
Peru
Peruvian Army[58]
Philippines
Philippine Navy[59][60]
Philippine Air Force[61]

Nigerian Air Force AW109

Slovenia
Slovenian Ministry of Defence[62]
Slovenian Police[63]
South Africa
South African Air Force[48]

A RNZAF AW109 in 2012

Sweden
Swedish Armed Forces[48]
Uganda
Uganda National Police[64]
United Kingdom
Royal Air

Force[48]

An AW109 Power helicopter of the

Philippine Navy

Former military operators

Argentina
Argentine Army[65]
Australia
Royal Australian Navy[66]

AW109E of the Empire Test Pilots'

School

Italy
Italian Air Force operated 3 aircraft from 1986[67]
Paraguay
Paraguayan Air Force[68]
Slovenia
Slovenian Air

Force[69]

A U.S. Coast Guard MH-68A

Stingray

United Kingdom
Army Air Corps[70]
United States
United States Coast Guard[71]
Venezuela
Venezuelan Army[72][73]

Accidents
In October 1989 - a private charter A109A Mk.II was crash landed in New Jersey, killing three executives
of The Trump Organization. The cause was a manufacturing defect in one of the main rotor blades.[16]
In April 2009 South African Air Force AW109 crashed into Woodstock Dam in the Drakensberg, due to
pilot error, killing all three on board.[74]
On 17 August 2011 Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau AW109E police helicopter crashed into
Miyun reservoir in Miyun County, Beijing of China. Three crewmen were killed and one crewman got
severely hurt.[75]
On 16 January 2013 Vauxhall helicopter crash, an AW109 on charter to Rotormotion clipped a
construction crane attached to the St George Wharf Tower in Vauxhall, London, before crashing to the
ground and bursting into flames, killing the pilot and a person on the ground. The helicopter was
completely destroyed and the crane was also seriously damaged.[76]
On 15 December 2012, a Nigerian Navy AgustaWestland helicopter crashed in Bayelsa State while
conveying VIPs to Port Harcourt from Okoroba Village in Bayelsa state, the crash claimed the lives of six
people, including Kaduna state Governor Patrick Yakowa.[77] The investigation stated the cause could
have either been human error, material failure or a combination of both. Turbomeca were closely
examining the engine.[78]
On 30 March 2013, a South African Air Force AW109 crashed while on an anti-poaching patrol in the
Kruger National Park in South Africa. All five SANDF members aboard were killed.[79]
On 17 July 2014, a Tri-State Careflight AW109E helicopter (N507CF) crashed in New Mexico with 1
pilot and two crew members on board. There were no survivors. The cause of this crash is pending an
investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.[80]
On 5 July 2015, an Agusta A109E with Philippine registry number RP-C2726 crashed in Cuenca,

Batangas province while flying in heavy rainfall. The incident killed the pilot and passenger Archimedes
King, founder of the Victoria Court motel chain; 6 other passengers were injured.[81]
On 17 July 2015, an Agusta A109K-2 of the Slovak rescue services, Air Transport Europe s.r.o., with the
registry number OM-ATB crashed in the "Slovensky Raj" national park near the village of Hrabusice in
north Slovakia while responding to rescue a ten year old German boy who suffered a leg injury. The
helicopter hit unmarked high voltage power lines in a rocky valley and subsequently crashed into a river,
killing four men (pilot, doctor, paramedic and a mountain rescuer).[82]

Displayed
A109A at Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovil, England. Former AE-331 of the Argentine Army Aviation,
captured in the Falklands War.[83]

Specifications (AW109 Power with PW206C)

Data from AgustaWestland[18][84] European Aviation Safety
Agency[85]

General characteristics
Crew: 1 or 2
Capacity: 6 or 7 passengers
Length: 11.448 m (37 ft 7 in) fuselage
Width: 2.88 m (9 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.50 m (11 ft 6 in)
Empty weight: 1,590 kg (3,505 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 2,850 kg (6,283 lb)
Powerplant: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada
PW206C Turboshaft engine, 418 kW (561 hp)
each
Main rotor diameter: 11.00 m (36 ft 1 in)

Performance
Maximum speed: 311 km/h (193 mph; 168 kn)
Cruise speed: 285 km/h; 177 mph (154 kn)
Never exceed speed: 311 km/h; 193 mph (168 kn)
Ferry range: 932 km (579 mi; 503 nmi)
Rate of climb: 9.8 m/s (1,930 ft/min)

See also
Related development
AgustaWestland AW109S Grand
Agusta A129 Mangusta
AgustaWestland AW119

Flight deck of an AW109,

2012

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Bell 222/230
Bell 430
Eurocopter Dauphin
Eurocopter EC 135
Sikorsky S-76
Related lists
List of helicopters

References
Citations
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External links
AgustaWestland AW109 Power page
Wikimedia Commons has
(http://www.agustawestland.com/product/helicopters/aw109media related to Agusta
power-2)
A109.
AgustaWestland GrandNew page
(http://www.agustawestland.com/product/helicopters/grandnew-1)
A109S presentation on BlueSkyRotor
(http://blueskyrotor.com/performance/oneaircraft/AgustaWestland/Grand-A109-S)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AgustaWestland_AW109&oldid=689056356"
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