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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

AW189 Takes Maiden Flight

With onlookers witnessing the landmark event, AgustaWestland’s newest variant—the AW189—went airborne for the first time Dec. 21 at its plant in Cascina Costa, Italy. AgustaWestland
AgustaWestland’s AW189 prototype has taken to the skies for the first time. Chief test pilot Giuseppe Lo Coco was at the controls for the AW189, which he said “performed as expected” following the flight. The initial prototype will be used mainly for avionics testing and offshore certification. A second prototype will conduct load survey testing during 2012. AgustaWestland expects civil certification of the helicopter in 2013, with deliveries to begin in 2014. The AW189 made its public debut at the 2011 Paris Air Show.

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