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AgustaWestland AW139

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AW139
Spanish maritime search and rescue AW139.
Role Medium-lift SAR/utility helicopter
Manufacturer AgustaWestland
First flight 3 February 2001
Introduction 2003
Primary users CHC Helicopter
Irish Air Corps
UAE Air Force
Number built 400
Developed into AgustaWestland AW149

The AgustaWestland AW139 is a 15-seat medium sized twin-engined helicopter manufactured by AgustaWestland. Originally designed and developed jointly by Agusta and Bell Helicopters and marketed as the Agusta-Bell AB139, it was redesignated the AW139 when Bell withdrew from the project. The AW149 is a medium-lift military helicopter being developed as an enlarged version of the AW139.

Design and development

In 1997, the Italian helicopter manufacturer Agusta launched a programme to develop a replacement for the Bell Huey family of helicopters, which had been built in very large numbers both by Bell and Agusta, with a potential market of 900 aircraft being predicted. In 1998, Bell and Agusta entered into an agreement, setting up a joint venture, Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company (BAAC) to develop both the Italian helicopter and a tiltrotor aircraft, which became the Bell/Agusta AB139 and Bell/Agusta BA609 respectively.[1]

The AB139 is a conventional layout twin-engined transport helicopter. It has a five-bladed fully articulated main rotor with a titanium hub and composite blades and a four-bladed tail rotor. It is fitted with a retractable tricycle landing gear. It is flown by a crew of two pilots, with up to 15 passengers accommodated in three rows of five. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6C turboshaft engines.[2]

The helicopter is being marketed for use in a number of roles including Law Enforcement/Emergency Medical Service, Executive Transport, Search and Rescue, Maritime and Offshore Oil Operations.

The first orders were placed by Bristow Helicopters on 26 September 2000. The first AW139 flew on 3 February 2001 at Vergiate in Italy,[3][4] and the first production aircraft on 24 June 2002.[5] The first customer aircraft was delivered in 2003.

The company has orders for over 430 helicopters of which over 200 had been delivered by January 2009. It was a contender in the U.S. Army Light Utility Helicopter Program (2004–2006), but lost to the Eurocopter EC145-based UH-72A Lakota.

In 2007 a second production line at the AgustaWestland Aerospace plant in Philadelphia, United States was established.

At the Farnborough Air Show in 2006, AgustaWestland announced the AW149 as a multi-role battlefield helicopter variant of the AW139.

The Irish Air Corps began taking delivery of its first AW139s in 2007. The type will provide army co-operation capability to the Air Corps. They replace the Aerospatiale Alouette III in service.

In late 2006 it was announced that the Japan Coast Guard had selected the AW139 as the replacement for its fleet of Bell 212 helicopters. Twenty-four AW139s are expected to be delivered, beginning in 2008.

In June 2010, it was announced that Agusta and Rosvertol (Russian Helicopters) would build a plant in Tomilino, Moscow Region, jointly producing AW139s from late 2011.[6]

Variants

AB139
Original Italian-built production aircraft, 54 built.[7]
AW139
Designation change from 55th aircraft onwards, built in Italy and the United States.[7]
AW139 (long nose configuration)
Long nose variant with increased room for avionics built in both Italy and the United States.[7]

Notable accidents and incidents

  • 25 August 2009, Gulf Helicopters, A7-GHC Doha, Qatar. Tail boom failure on ground.
  • 2010 Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima AW139 crash: On 21 January 2010, a Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima AW-139SAR (registration EC-KYR), crashed into the sea close to Almeria. 3 people died.[8]
  • 3 July 2010, B-MHJ Hong Kong, ditched into Hong Kong harbour after technical problems.
  • 23 February 2011, South Korean Coast Guard AW139 went missing off the southern island of Jeju. 5 people died.[9][10]
  • 2 May 2011, Gulf Helicopters, Doha, Quatar, Tail rotor failure on ground.
  • 30 June 2011, Kuala Lumpur, Westar Aviation AW139 made a hard landing.
  • 17 August 2011, Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau AW139 aircraft went missing into a reservoir in a northern suburb of Beijing (China), with five people aboard.Two confirmed fatalities, two missing.
  • 19 August 2011, PR-SEK Senior Taxi Aereo, declared an emergency to the control tower of Macaé and made a forced landing in the Atlantic Ocean, about 100 km off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Four confirmed fatalities.

Operators

Military and government operators

An AW139 air ambulance bearing the insignia and colours of the Ambulance Service of New South Wales
AW139 on display at the Farnborough Air Show in July 2006
Irish Air Corps AW139
HM Coastguard AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter.
Ornge AW139 air ambulance in Ontario
 Australia
 China
 Cyprus
  • Cyprus Police - Cyprus Police operates 2 AW139 for the security of external borders, fighting illegal immigration and other crime.
 Estonia
 Ireland
 Italy
 Japan
 South Korea
 Lebanon
 Malaysia
 Qatar
 Spain
LAFD Fire 5, lifts off at Van Nuys Airport
 Trinidad and Tobago
 United Arab Emirates
 United States

Civilian operators

An AW139, operated by All Nippon Helicopter for news gathering of NHK, descending for landing.
The bottom of AW139, operated by Aero Asahi Corporation for news gathering of Kansai Telecasting Corporation.
An AW139, operated by INAER.
 Canada
 China/ Hong Kong/ Macau
 Denmark
  • Bel Air Aviation operate three AW139 for offshore work in the North Sea and the Gulf of Finland.[15]
 Egypt
 Estonia
 Finland
 Netherlands
 Norway
 Portugal
  • Heliportugal operates AW139[17]
 Qatar
 Saudi Arabia
 Spain
 United Arab Emirates
 United Kingdom

Specifications AW139 (long nose)

Data from [7]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 to 2
  • Capacity: 15 passengers

Performance

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

  1. ^ Niccoli 2001, p. 158.
  2. ^ Niccoli 2001, pp. 158–159, 162.
  3. ^ Jackson 2003, p. 227.
  4. ^ Niccoli 2001, p. 163.
  5. ^ Jackson 2003, p. [31].
  6. ^ http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/italian-russian-firms-to-build-helicopter-factory/408863.html
  7. ^ a b c d EASA Type Certicate Data Sheet
  8. ^ Interim statement A002/2010 - Accident involving an AgustaWestland AW139, registration EC-KYR, operated by INAER, off the Almeria coast, on 21 January 2010, at 19:16 UTC.
  9. ^ http://www.allheadlinenews.com/briefs/articles/90036132?Rescue%20operation%20underway%20for%20missing%20South%20Korean%20maritime%20helicopter
  10. ^ http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2932713
  11. ^ Mitilian, Vatche. "News". The Independent Guide To The Lebanese Air Force. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  12. ^ "Malaysia maritime agency receives three AW139 helicopters". Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  13. ^ AgustaWestland Awarded Contract by the Maryland State Police Aviation Command
  14. ^ "Ornge and Canadian Helicopters Income Fund Announce Agreement in Principle" (PDF) (Press release). Ornge. 2008-09-03. Retrieved 2009-08-20.
  15. ^ [1]
  16. ^ Copterline - Etusivu
  17. ^ http://www.heliportugal.pt/#/pt/frota/ptaw139
  18. ^ [2]
  • Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Defence Data, 2003. ISBN 0 7106 2537 5.
  • Niccoli, Riccardo. "The Bell Agusta AB 139". Air International, September 2001, Vol 61 No 3. ISSN 0306-5634. pp. 158–163.
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