Leonardo’s orders for its new AW169 medium twin helicopter are quickly approaching 200 with nearly 70 delivered worldwide, according to Michael Bucari, the company’s marketing manager. Here in the U.S., the AW169 is off to a comparatively slow start, but Bucari expects that to change quickly. “We will have approximately 10 AW169s delivered into North America by the end of this year or early 2019, five of which will be delivered with VIP configuration. More will be delivered into the North American market later in 2019. The North American market is really beginning to notice the AW169 for corporate and VIP missions. Its combination of cabin size, performance capabilities, safety characteristics, advanced avionics suite, and favorable acquisition and operating cost hit all of the key value indicators for this market.” Leonardo has partnered with three completion centers worldwide to provide executive/VIP interiors for the AW169: Adler, Air Concepts International (ACI) and Mecaer. Bucari said approximately 30 percent of the AW169s sold are ordered in corporate or VIP configuration. A typically equipped executive AW169 sells in the $10 million range.
Leonardo offers customers a variety of VIP interior stylings: Diamond, which features five passengers on reclining seats with options for up to seven seats; Pearl, with six passengers on four reclining seats and two fixed, with options for up to seven seats; Gold, with six passengers on two reclining seats and four fixed, with options up to seven seats; and Silver with eight passengers on fixed seats. The interior options catalog runs more than 80 pages and choices include sliding or hinged doors, cabin separation walls, selection of luxury finishes/veneers/liners, armrest cabinets, central cabinets, reading lights, and USB ports. A cabin Wi-Fi system is under development as is a full icing protection system (FIPS).
The AW169 features a pair of 1,000-shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210A engines and Rockwell Collins glass-panel touchscreen avionics with four-axis digital automatic flight control system and dual flight management systems. AW169s are also equipped with a variable-speed main rotor, which improves efficiency and reduces external noise, and the helicopter is the first in its category entering the market with electrically actuated retractable landing gear. Top cruising speed is 155 knots and maximum range is 505 nm. The 222-cu-ft cabin can accommodate seven to 10 passengers.
The aircraft received initial FAA certification in February 2017 and earlier this year was approved for a max gross weight increase to 4.8 tons, giving it a mission payload increase of 440 pounds or a range increase of 80 nm.