AgustaWestland AW609 tiltrotor aims for 2016 FAA certification

AgustaWestland AW609 tiltrotor aims for 2016 FAA certification:

We’ve been following the development of Eurocopter’s X3 demonstrator with interest in recent years, but it’s far from the only aircraft that aims to combine the vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities of a helicopter with the speed, range and altitude capabilities of a fixed wing aircraft. Tiltrotor aircraft that feature powered rotors mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles at the end of a fixed wing have been around for half a century, the most famous probably being the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. While the V-22 is a military aircraft, AgustaWestland is developing its AW609 as a multi-role aircraft aimed at private, commercial, and government markets...
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