Rotorcraft
Certification effort in full swing for BA609
Bell/Agusta Aerospace engineers working on the BA609 Tiltrotor have stepped up their certification efforts, now working with the FAA and the EASA (via Ital

Bell/Agusta Aerospace engineers working on the BA609 Tiltrotor have stepped up their certification efforts, now working with the FAA and the EASA (via Italian authorities) and planning on more than 100 hours of flight testing this year. That goal represents a major acceleration; the company has logged only 300 hours since 2003. However, the first flight of the third prototype has been delayed again.

The third prototype, which had long been expected to fly early this year, is now slated to make its maiden flight early next year, according to a Bell/Agusta executive. This schedule does not delay the program, and the tiltrotor is expected to win certification in early 2011.

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