Bell/Agusta AB139

Type (Muster)
Medium twin-turbine helicopter (Mittleschwerer Mehrzweckhubschrauber)

Country (Land)
Italy (Italien)/USA

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
AgustaWestland
Via Giovanni Agusta 520
21017 Cascina Costa di Samarate
Italy

Phone: 0039-331/229-111
Fax: 0039-331/222-595

Marketing and management responsibility for the AB139 now rests with the Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company, PO Box 901073, Fort Wort, TX76101, USA. Phone: 001-817/278-9600, Fax: 001-817/278-9726. Internet: www.bellagustaaerospace.com.

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 1 or 2
Passengers (Passagiere): up to 15 in three rows. In the medevac role, up to 6 litters and 4 attendants can be carried.
Baggage (Gepäck): 3,4 cu m behind cabin

Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67C turboshafts
Power (Leistung): 2 x 1250 kW (1680 shp) at take-off, 1140 kW (1530 shp) maximum continuous, 1289 kW (1729 shp) for two minutes in an emergency

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length overall, rotor turning (Länge über drehenden Rotor): 16,65 m
Length (Länge): 13,53 m
Width (Breite): 3,2 m over landing gear sponsons
Height (Höhe): 4,95 m
Main rotor diameter (Hauptrotordurchmesser): 13,80 m
Main rotor area (Rotorkreisfläche): 149,6 sq m
Tail rotor diameter (Heckrotordurchmesser): 2,65 m

Max. cabin length (Kabinenlänge): 2,7 m
Max. cabin width (Kabinenbreite): 2,0 m
Max. cabin height (Kabinenhöhe): 1,42 m
Cabin volume (Kabinenvolumen): 8 cu m

Weights (Massen)
Payload (Nutzlast): ca. 2500 kg
Max. load on cargo hook (max. Außenlast): 2750 kg
Max. gross weight (Max. Startmasse): 6000 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Never exceed speed (Maximalgeschwindigkeit): 310 km/h (167 kts)
Max. cruise speed (max. Reisegeschwindigkeit): 290 km/h (157 kts)
Best range speed (Reisegeschwindigkeit für max. Reichweite): 278 km/h (150 kts)
Max. rate of climb (max. Steigrate): 10,1 m/s
Service ceiling with one engine only (Dienstgipfelhöhe): 2625 m (9600 ft)
Hover out of ground effect (Schwebeflughöhe ohne Bodeneffekt): 3600 m (12000 ft)
Max. Range (max. Reichweite): 740 km without reserves
Operational radius (Einsatzradius): 370 km, with ten troops
Endurance (Flugdauer): 3 hr 54 min without reserve

Costs (Kosten)
Price was set at 6,985 million US-Dollars in 2001, up from the quoted 6 million US-Dollars at the presentation in Le Bourget, June 1999. In July 2000, this was given as 6,05 million US-Dollars.

Customers (Kunden)
The marketing was officially started at the Le Bourget Airshow in June 1999. More than 40 orders were claimed in November 2001, from Australia, Europe, Africa, the Far East and the Americas. Current customers include:

Bristow Helicopters: 2 . The first order for the AB139 was then signed on 28 September during the Helitech 99 show at Redhill (UK) at a cost estimated at 12 million US-Dollars. First delivery will be by the end of 2002.
Hawker Pacific: 4. Order signed at HeliExpo in Anaheim on 12 February 2001. The helicopters will be used for corporate, utility and off-shore operations in the Arabian Gulf.
Helitech PTY
Elilario: 1. The Italian company was announced as a customer in July 2000 at the Farnborough air show

The sales potential of the AB 139 is put at 900 helicopters over 20 years by Bell/Agusta, with 55 per cent military customers.

Competitors (Konkurrenz)
Bell 412
Eurocopter EC 155
Sikorsky S-76

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The aim of the AB139 development is to build a helicopter with a productivity superior to any other competitor in this class. It will offer flexibility of operation, for passenger transport, medical evacuation, offshore liaison, search and rescue, cargo lift and fire fighting as well as troop transport and battlefield fire support.
The AB139 uses a five-blade main rotor with eleastomeric bearings and a four-bladed tail rotor as well as a tricycle landing gear, retractable for higher speeds. Fully integrated Honeywell Primus Epic avonics will be fitted, plus a four-axis digital AFCS and large flat-panel displays in the cockpit. Full icing protection will be available as an option.
The AB139 is part of the joint venture agreement signed with Bell at Farnborough 1998. Under the Bell/Agusta umbrella, Agusta will take a 75 per cent workshare in the AB139. To cut down on its own expenditures, Bell/Agusta have choosen risk sharing collaborators, which mostly have to finance their development work. These include:

Pratt & Whitney Canada (engines)
Honeywell (Primus Epic avionic)
GKN Westland (now AgustaWestland) of the UK (transmission parts)
PZL-Swidnik of Poland (fuselage)
Liebherr of Germany
Kawasaki of Japan

History (Geschichte)
At the Farnborough air show in early September 1998, Agusta announced that it has launched the full development of a new helicopter in the six ton category. This announcement was preceded by studies which date back to the early 90s, when Bell was involved as well. The US company then decided not to proceed, but came back to the programme in 1998.
At the Aérosalon in Le Bourget in June 1999, a full-scale mock-up of the AB139 was unveiled for the first time, showing off the large cabin and baggage compartments as well as the Primus EPIC avionics.
A military mock-up with weapons pylons, chaff/flare dispensers and sensors in the nose was displayed at the Farnborough air show in July 2000 (see photo).
In the summer of 2000, two fuselages were on the assembly line at Agusta's facilities in Vergiate, while the AB139 transmission was continuing with bench tests. By November, three fuselages were in assembly, and the Ground Test Vehicle was nearing completion. It started tests in December 2000.
It is planned to fly three AB139 pre-production machines. Maiden flight was first announced for the end of 2000, but it actually occured on 3 February 2001 at Cascina Costa. Agusta test pilots Bruno Belluci and Gabriele Zanazzo piloted the helicopter, with flight test engineers Fiorenzo Mussi and Marco Montorfano also on board. The flight lasted 45 minuted, during which initial airworthiness tests, hovering, lateral and forward flight and subsystems checks were performed. A speed of 120 kts was achieved. By June 2001, the first machine had clocked up 45 flight hours.
The second pre-production AB139 flew on June 4, 2001, at AgustaWestlands Cascina Costa plant.
The third AB139 made its successful first flight on October 22, 2001, at the Vergiate plant. At that point, the first two helicopters had flown more than 100 hours.
Certification to JAR/FAR 29 rules and start of deliveries should follow late in 2002. Final assembly will be both in Italy and later by Bell in North America, if market demand permits.

Last updated 17 December 2001

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