Italian helicopter builder Leonardo continues to work toward FAA certification of the world’s first civilian tiltrotor, the AW609. Part of the aircraft’s certification is proving to regulators that the AW609 can successfully autorotate to a landing following a dual engine failure. The company wants the FAA to consider some flight simulator data gathered to verify compliance with that requirement, in part to avoid potentially damaging a test aircraft during autorotation flight testing.
Leonardo Considers Alternate Compliance for AW609 Certification
Key Takeaways:
- Leonardo is pursuing FAA certification for its AW609 tiltrotor, specifically needing to demonstrate its ability to autorotate safely to a landing after a dual engine failure.
- The company proposes using a combination of flight simulator data and actual flight test data to satisfy this requirement, partly to avoid potential damage to test aircraft.
- The AW609 simulator has demonstrated safe landings with both engines out, and numerous flight-based autorotations have already been conducted.
- FAA certification for the AW609 is targeted for 2019, with first deliveries to customers scheduled for 2020.
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