flightglobal.com 28 January-3 February 2020 | Flight International | 25
KOPTER SH09
around 300, with a dedicated headquarters in
the Swiss town of Wetzikon and production
locations in Mollis, Switzerland and Lafay-
ette, Louisiana.
Or, as the airframer’s website puts it: “Kop-
ter Group is developing as a full-fledged heli-
copter design, production and services com-
pany uniting all capabilities required for an
OEM with world-wide reach.”
However, development of the SH09 itself
has not proceeded according to plan. As part
of re-evaluation of all elements of the pro-
gramme in the early part of 2018, serious
manufacturing flaws were discovered in an
upper gearbox housing. Riccobono describes
the problem as the “most jeopardising” issue
for the whole effort, which “caused us almost
nine months of delay”.
KopterKopterDominic Perry/FlightGlobalDominic Perry/FlightGlobalPozzallo site has enabled
year-round flight testing❯❯Problems with upper gearbox
housing discovered in 2018
slowed development progressManufacturer has taken commitments covering the first three years of SH09 productionAirframer has trialled
different configurations,
including changes to
stabiliser end plates