Lockheed, Agusta demo Merlin air-to-air fueling
The Lockheed Martin and AgustaWestland HH-71 team have successfully conducted aerial refueling tests involving a Royal Air Force AW101 Merlin Mk3 helicopte
The Lockheed Martin and AgustaWestland HH-71 team have successfully conducted aerial refueling tests involving a Royal Air Force AW101 Merlin Mk3 helicopter and an Italian Air Force KC-130J tanker, the companies announced.
The fuel transfer occurred over the south of England on February 13, marking the first time a British helicopter has demonstrated air-to-air refueling capability. The AW101 and RAF test pilots successfully plugged the helicopter’s refueling probe to each of the tanker’s two wing-station drogues on the first attempt. Sorties were flown at 4,000 feet with both aircraft traveling at 127 knots and, according to Lockheed Martin, “All trial objectives were completed.”
