Aircraft Spotlight: Bell/Augusta BA609

I get the Flightaware email newsletter and periodically it includes images of aircraft that strike a particular chord with me. Recently, I was presented with a rather interesting looking aircraft. It was a tilt-rotor, like an V-22 Osprey, but obviously civil. It reminded me a bit of a Citation with tilt-rotors instead of jets. It featured the designation BA609 rather prominently on the vertical stabilizer, so I typed that into Google. To make a long story short, this is the civil tilt-rotor that Bell and AugustaWestland announced a while back.

Aircraft Specifications

The aircraft carries a crew of 2 pilots and features seating configurations for up to 9 passengers. The capacity is roughly equivalent to the average business-class turboprop, such as a King Air.

The aircraft has an empty weight of  10,483 pounds and a maximum take-off weight of 16,800 pounds, offering a payload of more than 5,500 pounds. It is roughly comparable in size to a King Air 200, with a length of 44 feet; a wingspan, with rotors, of 61 feet; and a height, with the engine nacelles horizontal, of 22 feet. The rotors have a diameter, at just over 25 feet, similar in size to that of the Robinson R22.

The twin PT6C-67A turboshaft engines put out 1,940 hp each carrying the aircraft to speeds in excess of 250 knots and altitudes of more than 20,000 feet. The aircraft will be certified for flight into known icing and the cabin is pressurized for altitudes up to 25,000 feet. With a range, without reserves, of 750 nautical miles and a cruise speed of 260 knots, the aircraft is set to be a serious competitor in the corporate market.

While no price has been announced, there are approximately 80 orders on the books for around $10 million dollars. Thanks to its range and speed, nearly twice that of a comparable helicopter, and its vertical take-off and landing capabilities, the aircraft will be attractive to operators that in the past have purchased a turboprop airplane or jet and a helicopter. With one $10 million dollar aircraft, they can replace both.

There are two BA609s flying, having amassed more than 350 flying hours as of late 2008. The aircraft is expected to receive certification in the US and Europe sometime in 2011. In the US, it will be certified under Federal Aviation Regulations covering large aircraft, helicopters, and newly developed tilt-rotor regulations.

Interior Specifications

The BA609 is outfitted with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 glass cockpit certified for dual pilot IFR. The avionics include 3 10 inch by 8 inch LCDs, and integrated autopilot with dual flight directors, and an optional FMS-3000 flight management system. Additionally, the aircraft avionics include a solid-state weather radar, TCAS 4000 collision avoidance system and a BAE Systems fly-by-wire flight control system.

The in addition to traditional flight information, the displays present the pilot with maximum speed for the current configuration. There are three nacelle configurations: horizontal, like an airplane; vertical, like a helicopter; and a 75° setting for sustained loitering. According to Bell/Augusta, the aircraft can convert from the fully vertical nacelle setting to the fully horizontal setting in less than a minute.

There are a number of cabin configurations for 9 passengers in airline style or club seating, aeromedical roles with 3 seats and 2 stretchers, or 6 passenger executive seating. All roles offer seats designed to withstand the forces of a crash as a standard. In sum, the Bell/Augusta BA609 represents a solid executive or utility aircraft for short-field or heliport use and trips under 750 nautical miles.

Videos and Pictures

I’ve found a couple of really great videos and images of the BA609.

For More Information

You can view official information about the BA609 at the Bell Augusta Aerospace Company website.

Additional information on the BA609 is available at aerospace-technology.com.