Leonardo's new AW169 medium twin is making a strong showing in the corporate market. According to the company, of the 40 AW169s delivered to date, 12 have been configured with corporate/VIP interiors with varying configurations to accommodate from five to eightpassengers.
The AW169 features a complete wireless cabin control and entertainment system: passengers can select different kinds of media and stream it on a cabin monitor or their own personal devices. The 222-cu-ft passenger cabin can accommodate eight to 10 people in utility configuration, eight in an executive design or five to seven in an extremely plush VIP layout. The manufacturer has worked with its longtime partner Mecaer to fashion stylish interiors featuring noise reduction, advanced cabin electronics, enormous captains’ chairs, LED lighting and high-end materials. Newly designed dampeners inserted between the main rotor blades mitigate vibration for passengers, pilots and equipment, delivering a comfortable, jet-like ride. Another plus: though the AW169 doesn’t have an auxiliary power unit to run air conditioning and cabin electronics, power is available when running one of its two engines on the ground without engaging the rotors.
The avionics feature three of the latest 10-by-eight-inch Rockwell Collins displays mated to touchscreen controls with all the newest capabilities, including night-vision-goggle compatibility, a four-axis digital automatic flight-control system and a dual flight-management system, digital maps, weather radar, satcom, traffic and-terrain avoidance, dual radar altimeters, ADS-B aircraft-tracking technology, enhanced vision and a health and usage monitoring system (HUMS). Aircraft condition and maintenance data from the HUMS is fed into Leonardo's 24/7 logistics center near Milan, Italy, where a team works with operators to address problems and get helicopters back into the air. The model also features IFR LPV (instrument flight rules, localizer performance with vertical guidance) capability and a terrain-awareness warning system for operations in the most challenging weather. Leonardo's optional full-icing protection system (FIPS), which has been popular on the larger AW139, should provide additional capability during inclement weather.
Leonardo has sold more than 160 AW169s to date, including firm orders, options and framework contracts, and projects selling more than 900 in the next 20 years. Nearly 20 of these sales are from Brazilian operators. Deliveries to date have included customers in Europe, Asia, Australia, South America and the Middle East in support of VIP transport, utility, EMS and flight training. It has proved particularly popular in the air ambulance role in the UK, where it has been fielded by EMS services in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire.