HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business


A109 Helicopter’s Maiden Flight Anniversary Marks 50 Years of Leadership in High Performance, Design, and Mission Versatility


Leonardo recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its A109 helicopter, an iconic product that represented a revolution in the life of the company. The type enabled Italy to become one of the world’s only nations with an OEM capable of autonomous design, development, and manufacturing of helicopters that became highly successful in both national and export markets.


Best-in-class performance and speed, a sleek design for superior aerodynamics, in-house modern main gearbox and transmission design and development, mission versatility, and a high level of customization. All of these characteristics enabled winning, distinguished features and core capabilities at Leonardo and played a significant part in its growing multi- role and dual-use helicopter range over the coming decades, and this started with the maiden flight of the Agusta A109 on Aug. 4, 1971.


The project request originated from the designer Bruno Lovera to the then top management, and an A109 prototype was taken to the skies by pilot Ottorino Lancia for the first time in the summer of 1971. The new model featured a four-blade articulated main rotor, a semi-rigid two-blade tail rotor and


26 July/Aug 2021


retractable landing gear, delivering unique handling and overall flying qualities. The 2.4-ton, 8-seat type was certified both in Italy and the U.S. (four years later) and entered the market in 1976. The new model also allowed the company to enter into the highly competitive U.S. market, where it leveraged the establishment of a logistics center in Philadelphia set to become, over the following decades, home to Leonardo’s helicopter industrial presence in the U.S. for comprehensive rotorcraft manufacturing, support, and training services.


Starting in the mid-1970s, early success led to a continued and increased presence of the company in the challenging light-twin segment market on a global scale with a number of versions and newly certified types for the widest array of civil, public service, and military applications. New 3-ton class models include the popular Power and Grand as well as the more recent GrandNew and Trekker aircraft, not to mention more customized military and government variants such as the LUH and Nexus. With the latest designs, Leonardo introduced modern digital avionics, spacious cabins, enhanced dynamics, new engines, and all main undercarriage options reaching a total number of over 1,600 light-twin helicopters sold in 50 years to customers in over 50 countries across all continents for operations in all-weather/environment conditions, over land and sea.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84