eveloped in the
1980s as a joint
project by the then
Westland Helicopters in
the UK and Italy’s Agusta,
the EH101 (now AW101)
Merlin was designed
to meet both countries’
requirements for a modern
medium-lift naval helicopter
to replace the Sea King.
A first EH101 prototype took
to the air at Yeovil in Somerset
on October 8, 1987 with Westland
chief test pilot Trevor Eggington at the
controls. Since then, investment in design
and development is still paying dividends- more than three decades on, the latest-
generation AW101 is fulfilling its potential.
The sight of an all-black Italian Air Force
HH-101A – destined for personnel recovery
and special forces duties – launching
from the Leonardo Helicopters (formerly
AgustaWestland) manufacturing facility in
Yeovil reflects the Merlin’s multi-role flexibility.
Meanwhile Norway’s selection of the
AW101 for its demanding long-range
search and rescue (SAR) requirements
is further evidence of its versatility.
Manufacturing programme
EH Industries (EHI) was the joint venture formed
to design and develop the Merlin. Marketed
as the EH101 until 2005, it was redesignated
AW101 following the merger between Westland
Helicopters and Agusta to form AgustaWestland –
since January 2016 part of Leonardo’s Helicopter
Division. As well as Yeovil, production has taken
place at Vergiate, Italy, and under licence with
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) in Japan.
Designed from the outset for a wide variety
of military, maritime and civilian roles,
today’s AW101 is responding to the needs
of a diverse range of global customers.
AFM visited the Leonardo Helicopters
manufacturing facility in Yeovil to find out about
the Merlin’s ongoing development. First stop
was the flight shed which contained a number
of AW101 variants: Royal Navy Merlin HC3s
(former RAF utility variants being upgraded and
‘marinised’ as the HC4 under the Merlin Life
Sustainment Programme), Royal Navy HM2s (anti-
submarine/anti-surface warfare variant), a Royal
Norwegian Air Force Mk612 (SAR), an Italian Air
Force HH-101A and an AW101 VVIP transport
destined for an undisclosed overseas customer.
Leonardo Helicopters highlights the period
around 2005 as a turning point for the AW101.
At the time, AgustaWestland and Lockheed
Martin had been selected as winners of the
VXX programme to replace the US Presidential
Marine One helicopter fleet with a variant of the
AW101, designated as the VH-71A Kestrel.
The programme was eventually cancelled
in 2009 due to increasing costs and political
pressure, but the challenge it created,
and resulting technical developments,
altered the baseline specification for the
AW101. Despite losing VXX, the programme
gained a new direction, increased
international interest and more sales.
Investment in the next-generation AW101 was
twofold: first, to enhance capability via new
certification and qualification standards and,
second, to upgrade and advance its technology.
The AW101 differs from the EH101 in its main
core structure, ensuring compliance with the
latest European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
20G crashworthiness requirements. As part of
this process, ‘all-up’ weight has increasedD
Left: A Royal Navy Merlin HM2 from the now
disbanded 829 NAS conducts winch operations
on the flight deck of the Type 23 frigate HMS ‘St
Albans’. A total of 30 HM1s were upgraded to HM2
standard with a redesigned cockpit and aircraft
management computer system, a total rewiring of
the aircraft and a new open-architecture tactical
mission system. Crown CopyrightA Merlin HC4 from 845 NAS keeps
a close watch on an F-35B as UK
test pilot Peter Wilson prepares
to take off to conduct the world’s
first shipborne rolling vertical
landing. The latest Commando
Merlin has been upgraded with
new avionics, folding main and tail
rotors, strengthened undercarriage
and other equipment for shipborne
operations. Crown Copyrighthttp://www.airforcesmonthly.com #369 DECEMBER 2018 // 81