AgustaWestland has introduced the AW119 Ke (Koala enhanced) light single and has clinched an order for six of the type with two options from Spanish firefighting operator Fumigación Aérea Andaluza (FAASA).
The Ke will replace in service the A119 Koala, which was certificated in 2000. It offers an increase in maximum take-off weight from 2,720kg (5,800lb) to 2,850kg, while the main rotor blades attached to the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B-37A engines feature improved aerodynamic design, greater use of composites, and a higher rotor rpm, providing additional lift capacity and improved hot-and-high performance at high gross weights.
Production will begin shortly at the company's Philadelphia assembly plant.
Source: Flight International
