AgustaWestland AW119

Infobox Aircraft
name= AW119 Koala


caption=
type= utility helicopter
manufacturer= Agusta, later AgustaWestland
designer=
first flight= February 1995
introduced= 2000
retired=
status=
primary user=
more users=
produced= 2000-
number built=91 as of March 19 2007 [cite web | last = Gualdoni | first = Damiano | title = Damiano Gualdoni Aviation Enthusiast's Website| url = http://www.dgualdo.it/prod-a119.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ]
unit cost=$USD 1.85 million in 2000 [cite web | title = Flug Revue| url = http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRtypen/FRA119Ko.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ]
developed from = Agusta A109
variants with their own articles=

The AgustaWestland AW119 Koala (Agusta A119 Koala prior to the Agusta-Westland merger) is an eight-seat utility helicopter powered by a single turboshaft engine and produced for the civil market. It is intended to appeal to operators for whom the lower running costs of a single-engine aircraft outweigh the redundancy of a twin. [cite web | title = airliners.net | url = http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=16| accessdate = 2007-05-20 ]

Development

The A119 designation was first applied to a proposed 11-seat stretched version of the A109 in the 1970s, [cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages=41 ] but this was never actually built. The aircraft that was eventually to enter production was conceived in 1994, as Agusta was recovering from the financial woes that had nearly put the company out of business, [cite book |last= Simpson |first= R. W. |title=Airlife's Helicopters and Rotorcraft |year=1998 |publisher=Airlife Publishing |location=Ramsbury |pages=33 ] and the second of two prototypes took to the air in February the following year [cite web | title = Flug Revue| url = http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRtypen/FRA119Ko.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ] (the first prototype had been used for static tests [cite web | last = Gualdoni | first = Damiano | title = Damiano Gualdoni Aviation Enthusiast's Website| url = http://www.dgualdo.it/prod-a119.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ] ). These two machines, registrations "I-KOAL" and "I-KNEW" [cite web | last = Gualdoni | first = Damiano | title = Damiano Gualdoni Aviation Enthusiast's Website| url = http://www.dgualdo.it/prod-a119.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ] were then presented to the public at the Paris Air Show in June 1995 [cite web | title = Flug Revue| url = http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRtypen/FRA119Ko.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ] . Civil certification was originally anticipated in 1997, but that deadline was missed, Agusta citing personnel problems, and a need to increase the performance of the aircraft to meet customer expectations [cite web | title = Flug Revue| url = http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRtypen/FRA119Ko.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ] .

By way of a solution to the latter concern, the decision was taken to change the A119's powerplant. The prototypes were originally fitted with Turboméca Arriel 2K1 turboshafts, but the ubiquitous Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B was chosen in its place [cite book |title=World Aircraft Information Files |publisher=Bright Star Publishing |location=London |pages=File 889 Sheet 32] . In 1998, the prototypes were remanufactured with this engine, being assigned new serial numbers at that time [cite web | last = Gualdoni | first = Damiano | title = Damiano Gualdoni Aviation Enthusiast's Website| url = http://www.dgualdo.it/prod-a119.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ] . Certification was now expected by the fourth quarter of that year, but even this date slipped to July 1999, and it was eventually December before Italian RAI certification was awarded [cite web | title = Flug Revue| url = http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRtypen/FRA119Ko.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ] . US FAA certification was awarded in February the following year [cite web | title = Flug Revue| url = http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRtypen/FRA119Ko.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ] . Customer deliveries began soon thereafter [cite web | title = Flug Revue| url = http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRtypen/FRA119Ko.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ] , with the first commercial example going to Australian logistics company Linfox (serial 14007, registration "VH-FOX"). [cite web | last = Gualdoni | first = Damiano | title = Damiano Gualdoni Aviation Enthusiast's Website| url = http://www.dgualdo.it/prod-a119.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ]

Design

The design itself was derived from Agusta's highly successful A109, but with only a single engine (as the A109 was originally designed, in fact [cite book |last= Simpson |first= R. W. |title=Airlife's Helicopters and Rotorcraft |year=1998 |publisher=Airlife Publishing |location=Ramsbury |pages=33 ] ) and with fixed skids replacing the retractable wheeled landing gear. A key selling point is its wide-body fuselage, seating passengers three-abreast in the cabin, or allowing for two litters and medical attendants to be carried in the medevac role, whereas most similar-sized helicopters can only carry one. [cite web | title = airliners.net | url = http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=16| accessdate = 2007-05-20 ] The actual cabin volume is approximately 30% greater than other helicopters in its class. [cite book |title=World Aircraft Information Files |publisher=Bright Star Publishing |location=London |pages=File 889 Sheet 32]

For demonstration and publicity purposes, the two prototypes "I-KOAL" and "I-KNEW" appeared in eye-catching all-yellow and all-red liveries respectively.

Variants

* A119 - original production version (AW119 after Agusta-Westland merger)
** AW119 Ke - redesigned rotors, greater payload, better fuel efficiency [cite web | title = AgustaWestland AW119Ke sales brochure| url = http://www.agustawestland.com/dindoc/AW119Ke.pdf | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ]

Operators

Major operators [cite web | last = Gualdoni | first = Damiano | title = Damiano Gualdoni Aviation Enthusiast's Website| url = http://www.dgualdo.it/prod-a119.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20 ]
*
** TexAir Helicopters - 7 aircraft
** New York City Police Department - 4 aircraft
** Tri-State CareFlight - 4 aircraft
** Phoenix Police Department - 3 aircraft
* Finnish Border Guard - 3 aircraft and 1 option, ordered 2008-04-21
* Mexico State Government - 4 aircraft

pecifications (AW119Ke)

aircraft specifications

ref= AgustaWestland website [cite web | title =AgustaWestland website| url = http://www.agustawestland.com/products01_02.asp?id_product=4&id=4 | accessdate = 2007-05-20]
plane or copter?=copter
jet or prop?=prop

crew=1 pilot
capacity=6-7 passengers
length main= 13.01 m
length alt=42 ft 8 in
span main= 10.83 m
span alt= 35 ft 6 in
height main= 3.77 m
height alt= 12 ft 4 in
area main= 92.1 m²
area alt= 991 ft²
empty weight main=1,430 kg
empty weight alt=3,152 lb
loaded weight main= kg
loaded weight alt= lb
max takeoff weight main= 2,720 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 5,997 lb

engine (prop)= Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-37A turboshaft
number of props=1
power main= 747 kW
power alt= 1,002 hp

max speed main= 267 km/h
max speed alt= 166 mph, 144 knots
ferry range main= 991 km
ferry range alt= 618 miles, 535 nm
ceiling main= 6,096 m
ceiling alt= 20,000 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=

armament=

ee also

aircontent

related=
* Agusta A109

similar aircraft=
* Eurocopter Ecureuil
* Bell 407
* MD 600N

lists=
* List of helicopters

see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.agustawestland.com/products01_01.asp?id_product=4 AgustaWestland A119 page]
* [http://www.agustawestland.com/communication_det.asp?id_news=287&yy=2007 AW119Ke announcement press release]