AB 139 Flight Test Program Begins

First flight: Agusta Bell AB 139 flies for th first time on February 3.

Bell/Agusta Aerospace revealed additional details and played a video tape about the AB139's first flight at yesterday's Agusta operator meeting. "The first flight was a terrific and impressive start for the program," Bell chairman and CEO Terry Stinson said. "I think the videos speak for themselves."

Stinson praised the Bell/Agusta team for its "talent and dedication" to the program, enabling the firm to stay on or ahead of the certification schedule. "We have a half century honeymoon of working on various programs together prior to the AB139 program," Stinson said. He quipped that the "i" was left off "Stinsoni" on his name card.

First flight of the AB139 was slated for just ten minutes, but Agusta test pilots Bruno Bellucci and Gabriele Zanazzo, accompanied by flight test engineers Fiorenzo Mussi and Marco Montorfano, actually flew for 45 minutes because they were so satisfied with the aircraft's performance and handling characteristics.

Departing from Agusta's Cascina Costa facility at 5:30 PM on February 3, the crew flew the aircraft in forward flight up to 120 KTAS and laterally up to 25 knots, according to Giuseppe Orsi, co-general manager of Agusta Aerospace. "AB139 went from being announced at the 1999 Paris Air Show to first flight in only 19 months," Orsi said.

The second flight of the AB139 took place just one week ago, on Monday, February 5.
BAAC officials believe the entire flight test program, leading to full JAR/FAR 29 certification by the end of next year, will require 1,500 to 1,800 hours. Four type conforming aircraft will be used in the development program-one dedicated to static airframe and systems testing and three others in flight test. Flight Into Known Icing certification will be undertaken as a post-certification activity.

AB139 is a 12- to 15-passenger medium twin, powered by twin FADEC-equipped PWC PT6C-67C turboshaft engines. The 13,227 lb MTOW aircraft will have a 5,512 lb useful load, will cruise at 157 knots, and have a 400 nm range. It has a 260 cubic foot passenger cabin, 120 cubic feet of external luggage space, and features the Honeywell Primus Epic integrated avionics system.

By Fred George