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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 1063.PDF
t^f\\tf\1T ^T/Nf"1! Flight Internationalis first to flight test the Bell/Agusta Aerospace AB139, which offers impressive twin-turbine performance. Will it excite a market poised to re-equip? Anew medium twin-turbine heli copter does not come along every day and, judging by the healthy order backlog for the Bell/Agusta Aerospace AB139, the market is ready for a new entrant. The AB139 is coming to market just as its target customers - corporate, offshore and utility operators - are entering a long-overdue re-equipment phase. Starting life as the A139, a larger stable- mate for Agusta's A109 light turbine twin using technology developed for the Italian manufacturer's A129 attack machine, the design was conceived as a quiet, fast and modern 12-passenger helicopter that would seat up to 17, including pilot(s), in a high- density layout. With the creation of the Bell/Agusta Aerospace (BAAC) joint venture in 1998, the helicopter became the AB139, stablemate to the BA609 civil tiltrotor. Drawn up with input from potential customers, design goals for the AB139 included low cabin noise and vibration, high speed, good visibility and a high level of safety. Other demands were high weight and power reserves, adequate main and tail rotor power, good stability and manoeu vrability, and simplicity of operation, par ticularly for Category A (public transport) take-off and landings. Also desired were low direct operating costs with fewer scheduled checks and either on-condition maintenance or long overhaul intervals. Agusta, which itself became part of the AgustaWestland joint venture in 2001, led development of the AB139. The helicopter first flew in February 2001 and Italian certi- Agusta has yet to fully explore high-altitude performan ce, but is confident of tail rotor power fication was achieved in June 2003. The first helicopter was delivered to Italian public-transport operator Elilario in December last year. US certification is expected by mid-year, and Bell Helicopter will deliver the first AB139 assembled at its Amarillo, Texas plant in the first quarter of 2006. The Italian and US assembly lines will have a combined production capacity of 50 aircraft a year, says BAAC. Four flight-test aircraft have been pro duced, plus one for tie-down ground tests. Flight International was invited to evaluate the third flight-test AB139 with chief test pilot Bruno Bellucci. The helicopter was still equipped with test telemetry for the ongoing development programme, but I was able to examine a production model with a 12-passenger interior. Access to the passenger cabin is easy thanks to the low floor (there are no underfloor fuel tanks) and short undercarriage. This aircraft had an electrical retractable step. There is plenty of headroom, even for a six-footer, and the two banks of forward-facing seats have a pitch of 32in (81cm), which gives adequate leg room, while the rearward-facing bank has even more. Five of us tried the five- place seat bank: it was comfortable enough. Payload plans Empty weight for a typical fully equipped aircraft will be about 4,000kg (8,8001b), says Agusta. At the present maximum gross weight of 6,000kg, payload with a full 1,200kg of fuel and one pilot is 650kg. But plans are afoot to raise the maximum weight by 4O0kg, increasing the payload to 1,050kg. Fuel consumption is 350- 400kg/h. A 400kg-capacity auxiliary fuel tank is available. Bellucci demonstrated a typical pilot's pre-flight inspection, which proved to be precise, but easy and quick. All the relevant fluid levels are easily accessible for check ing. For a more detailed inspection, access to the main gearbox, engines and main rotor hub is good, with built-in steps and retractable platforms. The voluminous bag gage compartment - 2.2m3 (77.5ft3), which can be extended to 3.4m3 - has access doors on both sides of the fuselage, and there is no interference with the wide cabin doors. The panel between the baggage compartment and cabin can be removed. The two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C- 687C turboshafts produce l,680shp (l,250kW) each at take-off (for 5min) power and l,530shp maximum continu ous. Single-engine power output is l,870shp for 2.5min and l,680shp maxi mum continuous. There are generous tran sient limits. Usually helicopter main gear boxes are unable to accept the maximum engine output, but on the AB139 the limits are identical, so the pilot does not have to 28 22-28 JUNE 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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