AgustaWestland remains on schedule to deliver the first three locally assembled F-model CH-47 Chinooks to the Italian army by the end of the year.
An initial example has completed over 100 flights since performing its maiden sortie from the manufacturer's Vergiate plant in June last year, says AgustaWestland, and recently completed certification trials for its digital automatic flight control system and flight director instrumentation.
The second aircraft to roll off the assembly line is also being readied for a first flight anticipated in the coming weeks.
To be designated the ICH-47 in Italian service, Rome has 16 examples on order with four options, to replace its active fleet of aged C-model Chinooks. Flightglobal's Ascend Online Fleets database records the nation's army as operating 14 of the type, with a further 18 aircraft in storage.
The third and fourth aircraft are on the assembly line, says AgustaWestland, with work on the fifth heavy-lift rotorcraft to begin in the coming weeks.
Under the terms of the 2009 contract between Boeing and the Anglo-Italian firm, AgustaWestland is responsible for systems integration, final assembly and delivery of the completed helicopters to the Italian army's 1st aviation regiment at Viterbo air base. It will also eventually produce the drive systems for the tandem-rotor type.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
