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The primary of 20 Leonardo AW119Kx helicopters ordered by the Italian Carabinieri has began flying.
The fist RH119A (as this variant of the AW119Kx has been designated), destined to the Arma dei Carabinieri, the nationwide gendarmerie of Italy, was photographed throughout a current take a look at flight from Leonardo’s plant in Vergiate, by our contributor Oscar Bernardi.
The plane, s/n15501, carries experimental registration CSX 82103: it’s the first Koala constructed for the army police, following an order for 20 AW119Kx helicopter introduced in October 2022.
Together with the UH-169C which might be at present being delivered, the RH119As will exchange the present rotary-wing fleet of AW109N and AB412 helicopters.
All of the helicopters will probably be assembled on the Vergiate plant with deliveries anticipated between 2023 and 2026. The contract signed final 12 months additionally features a full bundle of turnkey technical logistical assist and coaching providers for pilots and upkeep technicians.
Listed below are some particulars concerning the Koala, from Leonardo’s web site:
The AW119Kx are geared up with digital applied sciences that enable a rise in operational effectiveness and decrease administration prices and can be utilized at current infrastructures throughout the nation together with 18 bases.
The peculiar traits of the AW119Kx and the associated certification requirements and army {qualifications} will enable the operator to hold out missions even in city contexts in an efficient and protected approach because of the traits of systemic redundancy, energy margin, nice exterior visibility, subtle digital navigation avionics and mission. The latter relies on the Garmin G1000H cockpit geared up with giant coloration shows, artificial imaginative and prescient of the exterior setting, floor proximity system, flight info on the map in actual time (shifting map) managed by GPS. This helicopter mannequin has a big cabin and a big baggage compartment, in addition to a excessive distance of the principle rotor from the bottom to ensure better security for individuals on the bottom in the course of the mission. The tools offered for the AW119Kx of the Carabinieri features a excessive definition (HD) electroptic system, barycentric hook, data-link mission-transmission console, hyperspectral system for environmental monitoring and management, radio communications, cable cutters, fire-fighting bucket, searchlight of analysis. There’s additionally provision for the set up of floats and lifeboats, and snow kits.
Outfitted with nice versatility, the AW119 options avionics that enable it to function each in response to visible and instrument flight guidelines. This permits better crew operational context consciousness, mission effectiveness and security, offering operators with a number of choices to fulfill their particular necessities. This helicopter mannequin affords unparalleled efficiency with excessive energy margins and the most important cabin in its class, able to accommodating as much as six passengers relying on the configuration. Over 490 AW119s have been bought thus far.
David Cenciotti is a journalist based mostly in Rome, Italy. He’s the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of many world’s most well-known and browse army aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for main worldwide magazines, together with Air Forces Month-to-month, Fight Plane, and plenty of others, protecting aviation, protection, warfare, trade, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown a number of fight planes with completely different air forces. He’s a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Power, a personal pilot and a graduate in Pc Engineering. He has written 5 books and contributed to many extra ones.
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