The AgustaWestland AW139 is a 15-seat medium sized twin-engined helicopter manufactured by AgustaWestland. Originally designed and developed jointly by Agusta and Bell Helicopters and marketed as the Agusta-Bell AB139, it renamed the AW139 when Bell withdrew from the project. The AW149 is a medium-lift military helicopter being developed as an enlarged version of the AW139.
The AW139 is a conventional twin-engined transport helicopter with a 5-blade fully articulated main rotor and a 4-blade tail rotor and a retractable landing gear.
The AW139 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6C turboshaft engines. The helicopter is being marketed for use in a number of roles including Law Enforcement/Emergency Medical Service, Executive Transport, Search and Rescue, Maritime and Offshore Oil Operations.
The first AW139 flew on 3 February 2001 at Vergiate in Italy, and the first production aircraft on 24 June 2002. The first customer aircraft was delivered in 2003.
The company has orders for over 430 helicopters of which over 200 had been delivered by January 2009. It was a contender in the U.S. Army Light Utility Helicopter Program (2004-2006), but lost to the Eurocopter EC145-based UH-72A Lakota.
In 2007 a second production line at the AgustaWestland Aerospace plant at Philadelphia, United States was established.
At the Farnborough Air Show in 2006, AgustaWestland announced the AW149 as a multi-role battlefield helicopter variant of the AW139.
The Irish Air Corps began taking delivery of its first AW139s in 2007. The type will provide army co-operation capability to the Air Corps. They replace the Aerospatiale Alouette III in service.
In late 2006 it was announced that the Japan Coast Guard had selected the AW139 as the replacement for its fleet of Bell 212 helicopters. Twenty-four AW139s are expected to be delivered, beginning in 2008.
In June 2010, it was announced that Agusta and Rosvertol (Russian Helicopters) would build a plant in Tomilino, Moscow Region, jointly producing AW139s from late 2011.
Helicopter info
Cruise speed: 290 km/h
Total range: 568 km
Aircraft dimensions
Width: 3,26 m
Length: 16,66 m
Height: 3,59 m
Cabin
Length: 2.70 m
Width: 2.00 m
Height: 1.40 m
Passengers: up to 15
Baggage capacity: 3.40 cubic m
