Rotorcraft
Round-the-world speed record falls to A109S
The around-the-world helicopter speed record fell hard on August 18.
Pilots Scott Kasprowicz and Steve Sheik flew a stock twin-engine 2007 AgustaWes

The around-the-world helicopter speed record fell hard on August 18.

Pilots Scott Kasprowicz and Steve Sheik flew a stock twin-engine 2007 AgustaWestland A109S Grand 20,078 miles in 11 days, 7 hours and 2 minutes, shattering the old record by 5 days and 23 hours and substantially beating their goal of breaking the old benchmark in 13 days. The pair beat the record without auxiliary fuel tanks, chase planes or an elaborate mission control center. En route they also set a new New York to London helicopter speed record, making the 3,449-nm trip in 40 hours, 41 minutes, breaking the current record by more than 35 hours.