Leonardo has obtained EASA approval for an increased gross weight (IGW) kit on the AW169 medium twin, from 10,141 pounds to 10,582 pounds. The increase translates into a 441-pound payload increase and an additional 100 nm of range, up from an original ferry range of 431 nm (no reserve).
The AW169 received EASA certification in July 2015, but customer deliveries have been slowed by a variety of teething issues.Only 10 of the helicopters have been delivered through September. Leonardo said that deliveries are now ramping up. Customers have placed orders for more than 150 AW169s, including more than 20 in Brazil. The company also recently received basic certification on the AW169 from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC).
According to Leonardo, the AW169 incorporates several new technology features in its rotor system, engines, avionics, transmission and electric power generation and distribution systems. It is powered by a pair of 1,000-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210A Fadec-controlled engines, and has Rockwell Collins glass-panel touchscreen avionics with capabilities that include a four-axis digital automatic flight control system and a dual flight-management system.
Top cruising speed is 155 knots and the 222-cu-ft cabin can accommodate seven to 10 passengers. Early units are being delivered from Leonardo’s plant in Vergiate, Italy, and a second AW169 assembly line will soon open at the company’s Philadelphia facility in the U.S.