The first flight of the Bell/Agusta BA609 civil tiltrotor is planned for early 2003 after the start of powered ground runs on an elevated ramp. Bell says it is aiming for certification of the six- to nine-seat machine in January 2007.
Bell president Glenn Hess reaffirms the strategy to pace BA609 development behind that of the V-22 military tiltrotor, which is not expected to enter US Marine Corps service before 2005. The test schedule calls for the first prototype to fly six to eight weeks after static-powered testing begins.
A second machine, to join the flight-test effort next year, will focus on performance and envelope expansion. Two more prototypes, on which work was suspended this year, are expected to fly in 2004.
Ground runs on the ramp will provide the necessary clearance for the BA609's Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67A-driven proprotors to rotate through the full conversion range. This follows an extensive check-out of the tiltrotor's hydraulic, fuel and electrical systems.
The BA609 was due to enter civil service this year, but the programme has been hit by the V-22 grounding and a squeeze on funds. Bell has spent the year replicating V-22 "triple lab" testing on the BA609, hooking up ironbird hardware with the vehicle system integration laboratory and simulator to verify and regression-test flight software.
Source: Flight International
