The Bell/Agusta AB139 made its successful first flight on February 3, 2001 at Agusta’s Cascina Costa plant in Italy, thus marking its entry into the development flight test activities.

Agusta test pilots Bruno Bellucci and Gabriele Zanazzo piloted the AB139 during the flight, with flight test engineers Fiorenzo Mussi and Marco Montorfano onboard. This first flight lasted 45 minutes during which initial airworthiness tests, hovering, lateral and forward flight, handling qualities and subsystems checks were performed.

A spokesman said: “These initial tests, in which a continuous speed of 120 kt was easily achieved, have confirmed the excellent charac-teristics and the smoothness of this new medium twin helicopter.”

First flight comes 19 months after the unveiling of the AB139 mock-up at Paris Le Bourget ’99. The AB139 IFR certification under JAR/FAR part 29 regulations will take place in 2002.

In addition to Agusta and Bell Helicopter, several international companies have colla-borated, as risk-sharing partners, during the development phase leading up to this event.