AgustaWestland threw the wraps off its new light twin helicopter, the Agusta Grand, at the show yesterday and immediately announced launch orders for the aircraft with first deliveries as early as the middle of next year.
The manufacturer says it has four aircraft on the production line and that it plans to deliver 15 helicopters by 2006 - with 70% of these aircraft already on firm order.
"We have some capacity," says director of civil sales Leonardo Monti, "but we are confident of filling that with more orders."
Monti wouldn't confirm exact details of customers for the Grand, but says sales to the US were among the orders to date. He adds that customers plan to operate the aircraft on corporate/VIP missions, as well as in EMS and SAR configurations.
The baseline aircraft cost will be between $4-4.7 million. Monti confirms that Italian ENAC certification is expected by the end of this year, with FAA certification to follow immediately afterwards.
The Grand is designed to carry six or seven passengers, with a flight crew of one or two. AgustaWestland is pitching the aircraft at the top end of the light twin market in direct competition with Eurocopter's EC145. Monti estimates the market at 30 aircraft per year worldwide.
"This is a specialist market. The figures for civil deliveries in 2003 showed that the largest area in terms of delivery value was the light twin/intermediate category, at 40% of the total value. We want to capture a portion of that."
AgustaWestland is focusing on two key areas with the Grand, which will be certificated as the A109S and takes a high proportion of its components from the A109 Power. Cabin length is 2.3m (7ft 7in) with sliding doors on each side of the aircraft measuring 1.4m wide (4ft 7in).
Two prototypes have been in test flight for the past 18 months at Agusta plants in Italy. The company elected not to bring an actual aircraft to the show, opting instead to unveil a cabin mock-up in EMS configuration in order to maintain its certification schedule.
The aircraft will sit between the A119 Koala and the Agusta/Bell AB139 in size and cost, with the price tag being approximately half that of the AB139.
The Grand will be capable of cruising at 157kt (280km/h) with a maximum range of 470nm (870km), although a three fuel-tank configuration will also be available.
It will be powered by Pratt & Whitney PW207C turboshafts with FADEC control and AgustaWestland is adding a composite main and tail rotors.
PAUL DERBY
Source: Flight Daily News
