The AgustaWestland AW189 is a twin-engined, super-medium-lift
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
manufactured by
Leonardo S.p.A.
Leonardo S.p.A., formerly Leonardo-Finmeccanica and originally Finmeccanica, is an Italian multinational company specialising in aerospace, defence and security. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, the company has 180 sites worldwide. It is the eighth ...
It is derived from the
AW149, and shares similarities with the
AW139 and
AW169
The AgustaWestland AW169 is a twin-engine, 10-seat, 4.8t helicopter developed and manufactured by the helicopter division of Leonardo (formerly AgustaWestland, merged into Finmeccanica since 2016). It was designed to share similarities with the ...
.
Development
On 20 June 2011, development of the eight-tonne twin-engine AW189 was formally announced by AgustaWestland at the
Paris International Air Show; at the time, the company planned to have the new rotorcraft certified by 2013 and in service in 2014.
[ The AW189 is a civil-orientated version of the military AW149, which in turn is an enlarged development of the AW139; in 2011, AgustaWestland CEO ]Bruno Spagnolini
Bruno Spagnolini is an Italian engineer and businessman who served as CEO of AgustaWestland, the helicopter-manufacturing division of Finmeccanica. After being charged in 2013 with participation in a bribery scandal (also known as choppergate), h ...
stated that: "The AW139 and the AW189 are two very different aircraft but they both share the same general concept in architecture". AgustaWestland stated it aimed to sell the AW189 for offshore helicopter support, search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
(SAR), and passenger transport roles.[mirror]
On 21 December 2011, the first AW189 conducted its maiden flight from AgustaWestland's facility in Cascina Costa, Italy. During the flight test program, six AW189s were used, these were four prototypes and a pair of pre-production aircraft.["New Generation AW189 helicopter enters full-scale production."](_blank)
''AgustaWestland'', 18 June 2013. The pre-production aircraft were used to develop mission kits and configurations for offshore and SAR roles, enabling these to be immediately certified and available for customer selection.[ In August 2013, the fifth prototype was dispatched to the UK, so that AgustaWestland's UK branch could begin work on certifying the type for SAR operations. In June 2013, AgustaWestland announced that the AW189 had entered full-scale production.]
In October 2013, the first production model performed its first flight; at the same time, work was proceeding on setting up a second production line for the type at AgustaWestland's center in Yeovil
Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somerset's southern border with ...
, United Kingdom.["First production AW189 performs its maiden flight."]
''AirFramer'' 10 October 2013. Retrieved: 11 October 2013. In February 2014, the AW189 received type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) with responsibility for civil aviation safety. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monito ...
(EASA);[EASA Type-certificate data sheet No. EASA.R.510 for AW189]
''European Aviation Safety Agency
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) with responsibility for civil aviation safety. It carries out certification, regulation and standardisation and also performs investigation and monito ...
'', 23 January 2015. Retrieved: 12 March 2015. the Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...
(FAA) issued its certification for the type in March 2015. In August 2015, civil certification for the AW189 was issued by the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC).["AW189 helicopter obtains Russian civil certification."](_blank)
''Vertical Magazine'', 26 August 2015.
In June 2015, it was reported that slow development of the ice-protection systems that to be offered upon the AW189 had delayed the introduction of Bristow Helicopters
Bristow Helicopters Limited is a British civil helicopter operator originally based at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, which is currently a part of the U.S.-based Bristow Group (, S&P 600 component) which in turn has its corporate headquarters in ...
UK-based SAR operations using the type, at the time being in a state of "operational evaluation". In September 2015, AgustaWestland announced that EASA certification of the AW189's limited ice protection system had been granted, and stated that the rotorcraft was the first in its category to receive such certification. In autumn 2015, AgustaWestland conducted icing trials in Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
to provide flight within full icing conditions
In aviation, icing conditions are atmospheric conditions that can lead to the formation of water ice on an aircraft. Ice accretion and accumulation can affect the external surfaces of an aircraft – in which case it is referred to as ''airframe ...
certification as part of efforts to qualify the type for the SAR role; validation of the full-ice protection system was scheduled for mid-2016.
In October 2017 Leonardo announced the development of the AW189K variant, powered by two 2500 hp Aneto-1K turboshafts produced by Safran Helicopter Engines. EASA certification for the AW189K was initially expected in late 2018 this was eventually achieved in June 2020; hot and high operations would benefit from the additional 500shp (370 kW) per engine and the Aneto's specific fuel consumption was planned to be 10% lower than the replaced CT7s. Gulf Helicopters
Gulf Helicopters is a helicopter services provider mainly servicing the oil and gas industry in Middle East, Yemen, North Africa and India. It is a 100% subsidiary of Gulf International Services under the QatarEnergy umbrella, and has its headqua ...
was the launch customer of the AW189K.
Design
The AW189 is a medium-sized twin-engined helicopter with a five-bladed fully articulated main rotor, a four-bladed tail rotor and a retractable tricycle landing gear. It is powered by two General Electric CT7-2E1 turboshaft
A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaftpower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust ...
engines. AgustaWestland refer to the AW189 as being a "super-medium class" helicopter, emphasizing its suitability for long-range operations. During development, the AW189 was designed to comply with the latest international regulatory safety requirements EASA/FAA Part 29, JAR OPS 3/EU-OPS.["AW189: Offshore."](_blank)
''AgustaWestland'', Retrieved: 22 December 2015. Of particular importance to the type's use for offshore operations, such as search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
and services to the oil and gas industries, the main gearbox
Propulsion transmission is the mode of transmitting and controlling propulsion power of a machine. The term ''transmission'' properly refers to the whole drivetrain, including clutch, gearbox, prop shaft (for rear-wheel drive vehicles), diff ...
has been designed to provide for a 50-minute run-dry capacity, in excess of requirements and a unique feature to the AW189.[ Aspects of the AW189 are deliberately similar to the AW139 and ]AW169
The AgustaWestland AW169 is a twin-engine, 10-seat, 4.8t helicopter developed and manufactured by the helicopter division of Leonardo (formerly AgustaWestland, merged into Finmeccanica since 2016). It was designed to share similarities with the ...
; these helicopters share similar flight performance characteristics, safety features, and design philosophies. Areas of the aircraft's operation, such as maintenance and the layout of the cockpit, also continue this concept, which reportedly makes operations more cost effective.
The cockpit features high levels of external visibility and advanced situational awareness technologies, and is designed to reduce crew workload and enhance safety. Avionics on the AW189 are fully integrated and include four color LCD panels, a four-axis dual- duplex digital
Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits.
Technology and computing Hardware
*Digital electronics, electronic circuits which operate using digital signals
** Digital camera, which captures and stores digital ...
automatic flight control system, autopilot, search
Searching or search may refer to:
Computing technology
* Search algorithm, including keyword search
** :Search algorithms
* Search and optimization for problem solving in artificial intelligence
* Search engine technology, software for find ...
/ weather radar, cockpit voice recorder, flight data recorder, night vision goggle-compatibility, health and usage monitoring system, moving map system, SATCOM, synthetic vision system, emergency locator system, helicopter terrain avoidance system (HTAWS), traffic collision avoidance system II (TCAS II), direction finder, forward looking infrared
Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation.
The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other therma ...
(FLIR) camera, and VHF
Very high frequency (VHF) is the ITU designation for the range of radio frequency electromagnetic waves (radio waves) from 30 to 300 megahertz (MHz), with corresponding wavelengths of ten meters to one meter.
Frequencies immediately below VHF ...
/UHF
Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter (on ...
radio. The avionics were designed to use an open architecture, making customer-specified upgrades and additions easier and enabling additional options.
Dependent on the configuration, the AW189's cabin can accommodate up to 19 passengers and two crew members on crashworthy seats.[ According to AgustaWestland, the AW189 possesses the largest cabin in its class, which is accessed via large sliding doors on either side of the fuselage; a separate externally accessed baggage compartment is also present.] The interior is customised to the mission role being undertaken; these include a self-contained emergency medical service (EMS) layout, passenger configurations (with in-flight entertainment systems offered), mission consoles for SAR and law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term ...
operations, and an optional dividing wall between the cockpit and main cabin may also be installed. Under certain conditions and limitations, the rotorcraft can be flown by a single pilot.[ Various pieces of optional equipment can be installed upon the AW189, including fast roping kits, external electric hoist, cargo hook, ]air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
, auxiliary fuel tanks, mission console, emergency flotation system (certified up to Sea State 6), external life rafts, emergency lighting, external search light
A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines an extremely bright source (traditionally a carbon arc lamp) with a mirrored parabolic reflector to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular dir ...
, main cabin bubble windows, wire strike protection system
The wire strike protection system (WSPS) is a mechanical wire cutter designed to mitigate the risk of wire strikes whilst flying helicopters at low-level.
History
During the six-year period covering calendar years 1974 through 1979, wire strike ...
, de-icing systems providing multiple levels of protection.
Operational history
In July 2013, AgustaWestland reported that they had received over 80 orders and options placed for the AW189. By March 2015, there were roughly 150 orders for the AW189.[
On 7 January 2015, AgustaWestland announced that it had concluded a deal to supply 160 AW189s to the Russian oil company ]Rosneft
PJSC Rosneft Oil Company ( stylized as ROSNEFT) is a Russian integrated energy company headquartered in Moscow. Rosneft specializes in the exploration, extraction, production, refining, transport, and sale of petroleum, natural gas, and petro ...
by 2025. These helicopters will be produced by HeliVert, a joint venture between Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland and Russian Helicopters
JSC Russian Helicopters (russian: Вертолёты России ''Vertolyoty Rossii'') is a helicopter design and manufacturing company headquartered in Moscow, Russia. The company designs and manufactures civilian and military helicopters. The c ...
(a subsidiary of the corporation Rostec
Rostec ( rus, Ростех, p=, r=Rostekh), officially the State Corporation for Assistance to Development, Production and Export of Advanced Technology Industrial Product Rostec (russian: Государственная корпорация по � ...
).["AgustaWestland to Supply AW189 Civil Helicopters to Rosneft "]
. AugustaWestland, 7 January 2015. Under the terms of the agreement made in 2015, HeliVert shall be responsible for final assembly of AW189s destined for the Russian and Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 239,796,010 ...
(CIS) nations at its Tomilino
Tomilino (russian: Томи́лино) is an urban locality (a work settlement) in Lyuberetsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia. Population: In terms of population, Tomilino is the largest urban-type settlement in Lyuberetsky District.
Tomi ...
plant near Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, the firm shall also receive an exclusive licence to market and manufacture the AW189 throughout the Russian and CIS market.
In August 2013, UK-based Bristow Helicopters
Bristow Helicopters Limited is a British civil helicopter operator originally based at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, which is currently a part of the U.S.-based Bristow Group (, S&P 600 component) which in turn has its corporate headquarters in ...
began promoting the AW189 to their offshore clients; Bristow intends to replace their Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma fleet with the AW189.[Osborne, Tony]
"Bristow Markets AW189 To Oil And Gas Customers."
''Aviation Week'', 6 August 2013. On 21 July 2014, Bristow, who served as the launch customer for the AW189, performed their first commercial flight of the type. Bristow is to procure 11 SAR-configured AW189s as part of an 11-year contract under which Bristow is to take over SAR operations in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
from the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
and Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
. On 19 January 2015, U.S. helicopter operator AAR Airlift and partner British International Helicopters (BIH) were granted a £180 million ($275 million) 10-year contract, beginning in April 2016, to support UK defence ministry operations in the Falkland Islands. Two AW189s will conduct SAR duties on behalf of British Forces garrisoned at Mount Pleasant Airfield on the South Atlantic islands, replacing RAF Sea Kings that will be retired at the end of March 2016.["AAR Airlift Wins Falklands Helicopter Deal."]
''Aviation Week'', 19 January 2015.
In July 2014, Asia-Pacific launch customer Weststar Aviation received its first AW189 in a ceremony at the Farnborough Airshow in Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...
, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
. In November 2014, Middle Eastern launch customer Gulf Helicopters
Gulf Helicopters is a helicopter services provider mainly servicing the oil and gas industry in Middle East, Yemen, North Africa and India. It is a 100% subsidiary of Gulf International Services under the QatarEnergy umbrella, and has its headqua ...
formally launched their first batch of AW189s into operational service. In October 2014, Lease Corporation International
Lease Corporation International is a company based in Dublin, Ireland, which offers a wide range of aircraft leasing to various airlines. LCI is a subsidiary of Libra Group, which is headed by George Logothetis.
Lease Corporation International wa ...
(LCI) became the first aircraft lessor to take delivery of the AW189.
After the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau ordered two AW189 in November 2021, the Ministry of Transport of the People's Republic of China order six AW189 for its Rescue and Salvage Bureau in March 2022, the six AW189 are expected to be delivered by 2023. At March 2022, there are 73 AW189s in service globally.
Operators
;
* Azerbaijan Airlines (2 on order)
;
* Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية المصرية, El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all mili ...
(8 on order)
;
* Indonesian National Police
''
, mottotranslated = (Serving the Nation)
, formed =
, preceding1 =
, dissolved =
, superseding =
, employees = 440,000 (2020)
, volunteers =
, budget =
, nongovernment ...
(2 in service)
;
* Tokyo Fire Department
The Tokyo Fire Department (TFD) (Japanese: 東京消防庁, Tokyo Shōbōchō) is a fire department headquartered in Ōtemachi, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. (1 on order)
;
* Weststar Aviation (2 on order)
* Fire Department
A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...
;
* Gulf Helicopters
Gulf Helicopters is a helicopter services provider mainly servicing the oil and gas industry in Middle East, Yemen, North Africa and India. It is a 100% subsidiary of Gulf International Services under the QatarEnergy umbrella, and has its headqua ...
(15 on order)
;
*Exxon Neftegas Limited
Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL; russian: Эксон Нефтегаз Лимитед) is a defunct subsidiary of the American oil company ExxonMobil which operated mostly in Russia, notably Sakhalin and other parts of the Far East. ENL was the primary ...
;
* Seoul Metropolitan Fire and Disaster Management
;
* Dubai Royal Air Wing (1 on order)
;
*Milestone Aviation Group
Milestone Aviation Group, a subsidiary of AerCap, is an aircraft leasing company focused on helicopters. As of December 31, 2021, it owned 355 helicopters, which are leased to companies including CHC Helicopter, Bristow Helicopters, Saudi Aramco ...
(3 on order)
;
* Bristow Group (HM Coastguard) (11 in service)
;
* Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company
Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company (VNH South), also known as Southern Service Flight Company (SSFC), is a state-owned chartered airline in Vietnam, which provides helicopter flights to various purposes, namely oil platform service, search and res ...
Specifications (AW189)
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
External links
AW189 Page on Leonardo-Finmeccanica
The AW189 – AgustaWestland’s New Family Member
Changing of the Guard
{{AgustaWestland aircraft
AW189
The AgustaWestland AW189 is a twin-engined, super-medium-lift helicopter manufactured by Leonardo S.p.A. It is derived from the AW149, and shares similarities with the AW139 and AW169.
Development
On 20 June 2011, development of the eight-ton ...
International helicopters
Twin-turbine helicopters
Aircraft first flown in 2011