For Lt. Cmdr. Ariel Coloma, the AgustaWestland AW-109E
"Power" naval helicopter and its armed counterpart, is the most
maneuverable and fastest aircraft in the inventory of the Philippine Navy.
He said the AW-109E can cruise at 140 knots or 20 knots
better than Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 they used to fly.
The last two and armed version of the AW-109E were
commissioned Monday.
This is part of the five-helicopter deal, worth
Php1.33-billion, signed by the Philippines
Coloma, a Navy Air Group pilot with 750 flying hours, also
said that their newest helicopter can also be made fly at a sizzling 160 knots.
But he will not recommend it during normal operations as
this is close to their never-exceed 168 knot limit which can seriously damage
or destroy the AW-109E if persisted.
Another interesting feature of this aircraft is the
autopilot feature which "can be use in three axis" of flight which
can greatly help the pilot in controlling the helicopter.
Coloma also said that the AW-109Es have a ferry range of 300
nautical miles and is very maneuverable for its size.
The AW-109 is a three-ton class eight seat helicopter
powered by two Pratt and Whitney PW206C engines.
The spacious cabin is designed to be fitted with a number of
modular equipment packages for quick and easy conversion between roles.
The aircraft’s safety features include a fully separated
fuel system, dual hydraulic boost system, dual electrical systems and redundant
lubrication and cooling systems for the main transmission and engines.
The AW-109 has established itself as the world’s best
selling light-twin helicopter for maritime missions.
It's superior speed, capacity and productivity combined with
reliability and ease of maintenance make it the most cost effective maritime
helicopter in its class.
For shipboard operations the aircraft has a
reinforced-wheeled landing gear and deck mooring points as well as extensive
corrosion protection measures.
The ability to operate from small ships in high sea state
enables the AW-109 to perform its mission when many others helicopters would be
confined to the ship’s hangar.
Over 550 AW-109 "Power" and AW-109 light utility
helicopters have been ordered for commercial, parapublic and military
applications by customers in almost 50 countries.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=791830
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