NH90 PT1 FLEW TO ITALY

29 July 1997

The first NH90 prototype (PT1) crossed the Italian border and arrived today at the AGUSTA plant in Cascina Costa , north of Milan, to start the installation and testing of the second engine: the T700-T6E by Alfa Romeo Avio/General Electric.

AGUSTA has the design responsibility for this activity, which is foreseen by the Additional Work and National Customisation contract signed on 6 October 1995 by NAHEMA (NATO Helicopter Management Agency) and NHIndustries (NH90 prime contractor).

According to the contract the “Additional work” items, like the second engine, that are developed in the frame of the main D&D contract can be commonly utilised by all the Participating Nations.

The NH90 PT1 took-off this afternoon from the Eurocopter plant in Marignane with a joint Eurocopter/ Agusta crew and it landed at Agusta, where it has been warmly welcome, after 2 hrs flight.

We recall that the NH90 PT1 (maiden flight 18 Dec. 95) has logged 150 flight hours opening the whole flight envelope and recently performed a daily presentation at the Paris Airshow 97.

The second prototype, the PT2 (maiden flight 19 March 97) is presently continuing the Fly-by-wire planned trials.

The ground test vehicle (GTV) has logged more than 300 test hours.

The overall trials results are very satisfactory for engineers and crews, and consolidate the basis of the NH90 Project.

This event is the confirmation of the high technical integration level reached by the NH90 industry cooperation, a result that has been possible by the day-by-day management at all levels and by the top level expertise of all participants of the industrial consortium.