Leonardo Next-gen Civil Tiltrotor Makes First Flight

Leonardo Helicopters has made the first flight of its Next Generation Civil Tiltrotor (NGCTR) demonstrator aircraft from its Costa di Samarate facility in Italy. Part of an EU-funded initiative, NGCTR was first launched in 2015 under the European Union’s Clean Aviation Clean Sky 2 program, which described the project’s aims to “design, install and demonstrate, in flight, innovative civil tiltrotor technologies enabling future prototype development.” At the time, Clean Aviation suggested a first flight in 2023.

Ground runs in June 2024 paved the way for the latest milestone, which “represents a fundamental step towards validating the five new technologies and performance improvements,” Leonardo said. To help achieve this, the demonstrator includes “advanced wing architecture, innovative tail layout, non-tilting engine installation…[and] an advanced, modular, distributed and scalable flight control system.”

The Italian OEM intends for the NGCTR to “revolutionise civil vertical lift by combining helicopter versatility with fixed-wing aircraft performance.” Its prototype aircraft offers a cruise speed of 280 knots and a range of around 1,000 nm. According to Leonardo, this will open “new scenarios for mobility, freight transport, and search-and-rescue missions, enabling faster coverage of larger areas.”

More than 85 organizations from 15 countries are collaborating on the NGCTR project, which has received around €116 million ($136 million) in EU funding.