Rotorcraft
Icing protection approved for AW139
AgustaWestland (Booth No.

AgustaWestland (Booth No. 7020) has received FAA and EASA certification for the full ice-protection system (FIPS) on its AW139 medium twin helicopter. With the FIPS option, the aircraft can fly into known icing. Approval from Transport Canada is expected soon and the manufacturer plans to deliver 12 FIPS-equipped AW139s this year.

The development and certification process started in 2004 and involved three series of trials in North America. The trials included an AW139 equipped with FIPS flying behind a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook that carried a water-spraying rail. Tests were also carried out with artificial ice shapes. According to the Anglo-Italian firm, the AW139 has demonstrated “ample margins in a wide range of demanding icing conditions.”

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