ARLINGTON -- City leaders joined company officials and others to witness a demo flight of AgustaWestland's next-generation AW189 eight-ton helicopter near its new facility at Arlington Municipal Airport.
The sleek-styled aircraft took off shortly around 2 p.m. Thursday in a "demonstration of agility."The Italian-based company opened a 5,000-square-foot office and a flight test facility at the airport this year after taking full ownership and control of the 609 civilian tilt-rotor aircraft it had been developing with Bell Helicopter. Bell also has its own flight-test facility at the Arlington airport."It's been a good experience for us," said Bob LaBelle, managing director of AgustaWestland. "We intentionally selected this location because of the weather and the abundance of aerospace talent."AgustaWestland has built five prototypes of the AW189, touted as a less costly and more efficient helicopter to maintain and operate. It is primarily a passenger-transport helicopter aimed at the offshore transport, utility, and safety and rescue markets.On Thursday, the double-engined machine quickly rose into clear blue Texas skies above Arlington Municipal and performed a number of acrobatics, including wing-overs and sharp turns. Some spectators said they had never witnessed such a large helicopter perform such elaborate maneuvers.The 16- to 18-passenger aircraft was viewed by dozens of spectators, including some Arlington City Council members and the city manager.It now heads to Alaska for cold-weather tests. It is one of five prototypes. The company hopes to have it certified by next year and on the market by 2014. The company declined to provide a cost for the aircraft.Yamil Berard, 817-390-7705Twitter: @yberardHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
