from 32,187lb (14,600kg) when it entered service
in 1999 to its current baseline of 34,392lb
(15,600kg). Leonardo personnel confirm there’s
more potential here, and that weights beyond
36,373lb (16,500kg) have been explored.
A more capable engine was also needed to
exploit fully the capabilities of the rotor system
and enhance hot and high performance. During
the 1980s and 1990s the Merlin was produced
with the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca RTM322 engine
(used by Denmark, Portugal, Japan and the UK)
and the General Electric CT7-6 (Canada and
Italy) – they’re now built with GE’s latest CT7-
8E, which increases power from around 2,000
to 2,500shp (1,471 to 1,839kW) and has further
growth potential should customers need it.
The AW101’s avionics represent another major
change, bringing advanced technologies and
added processing power, and benefiting from
developments elsewhere in the company’s
range. For example, the cockpit design is
the same as the AW169’s and AW189’s,
albeit with five display panels on the AW101,
three in the AW169 and four in the AW189.
Sharing the design means the AW101 now
has a ‘core aircraft management system’
at its heart that manages everything from
individual switches to mission sensors and
navigation and communications subsystems.
The Norwegian AW101 now coming off the
Yeovil production line also uses technology
from the Leonardo family, such as the Synthetic
Vision System (SVS) which enhances the pilot’s
situational awareness (SA) – especially useful
when flying in extreme weather conditions.
It gives the flight crew a clear, intuitive
picture of their flying environment, which
might include flying along a fjord in bad‘Fit for a king’
Of all the AW101 adaptations, the most
specialist is that demanded by the VVIP
market – although, externally, there’s little
to differentiate a VVIP AW101 from another
variant, apart from the paint scheme.
Security surrounding individual VVIP aircraft
is heightened at the Yeovil site. Walking around
one such aircraft cordoned off within the flight
shed, some of its special features become clear.
Fundamentally it’s the same helicopter, although
it has a side door, which can be electrically or
manually operated, and no rear ramp. The large
regular cabin door on the right side of the aircraft
is replaced by a fixed window and escape hatch.
The VIP cabin area is typically 6.6 to 9.8ft (2
to 3m) long with two or three windows on each
side, and can be partitioned off for privacy,
making it feel more like an airliner. Depending
on specific requirements, the forward cabin
generally includes up to four VIP seats with up to
12 passenger seats in a separate rear area; room
enough for a flight attendant, security guards
and of course the VVIP and his or her guests.
Removing the rear ramp sees the space ‘reclaimed’
as a stowage area and a second entrance for access
to the rear cabin, although this layout is flexible.
A lot of effort goes into reducing internal noise
and vibration levels, and panel alignment has to be
exactly right. Leonardo personnel confirmed that
the internal acoustic level inside a VVIP AW101 is
below 75 decibels – similar to a commercial jet.
Cockpit design and mission systems are
the same, but customers can choose ballistic
protection, a defensive aids suite and even
a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensor.
With more than six orders to date, the
company is confident of further commercial
opportunities for the variant.Saudi Arabia acquired a pair of AW101 Mk640 aircraft for VVIP purposes. The fi rst of these rarely seen
helicopters is HMH-1 (c/n 50239), photographed in the UK prior to delivery. The aircraft are operated by
the Saudi Royal Flight at Riyadh/King Khaled Air Base. Ian Harding
Above: An AW101 takes shape on the former AgustaWestland assembly line at Leonardo Helicopters’
facility in Yeovil. British, Polish and Portuguese fl ags attached to the airframe are testament to the
multinational nature of the manufacturing process. Rich Pittman Left: Sergeant Terrence Grandy is hoisted
down from a Royal Canadian Air Force CH-149 Cormorant onto a boat with the help of Corporal Simon
Jean (right) over the Northumberland Strait during an exercise off Prince Edward Island. DND-MDN Canada
Below: Members of the Italian military special forces, including rifl emen and raiders, on board an Italian
Air Force HH-101A during the Tende Scaglia exercise. The dimensions of the AW101’s cabin represent a
considerable improvement over the Sea King. Ministero Difesa82 // DECEMBER 2018 #369 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com