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 working towards FAA certification for its AW609, the world's first civilian tiltrotor.
- A key requirement for certification is proving the AW609's ability to safely autorotate and land following a dual engine failure.
- Leonardo proposes using a combination of flight simulator data and actual flight test data to meet this requirement, aiming to reduce risks to test aircraft.
- The AW609 simulator has demonstrated safe landings with both engines out, complementing numerous real-world autorotation tests already performed.
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