Editing Leonardo AW609 (section)

===Testing===
[[File:BA609 in hover mode at 2008 Farnborough Airshow 01.jpg|thumb|left|BA609 in hover mode, 2008]]

On 6 December 2002, the first ground tests of the BA609 prototype began. The first flight took place on 7 March 2003 in [[Arlington, Texas]], flown by test pilots Roy Hopkins and Dwayne Williams.<ref>{{Cite conference |author1=Fortenbaugh, Robert |author2=Hopkins, Roy II |author3=King, David |chapter=BA609 First Flight VSTOL Handling Qualities |title=American Helicopter Society 60th Annual Forum |date=2004 |url=https://vtol.org/store/product/ba609-first-flight-vstol-handling-qualities-4028.cfm |language=en |publisher=The Vertical Flight Society}}</ref> After 14 hours of helicopter-mode flight testing, the prototype was moved to a ground testing rig to study the operational effects of the conversion modes.<ref name="AHS March 2005">{{cite web |url=http://www.vtol.org/news/issues305.html#ba609 |title=BA609 Ground Runs Convert Helicopter To Airplane |work=VTOL.org |publisher=[[American Helicopter Society]] |date=March 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927054320/http://www.vtol.org/news/issues605.html#bell |archive-date=27 September 2006}}</ref> Following the completion of ground-based testing, on 3 June 2005 the prototype resumed flight testing, focusing on the expansion of its [[flight envelope]].<ref name="AHS June 2005">{{cite web |url=http://www.vtol.org/news/issues605.html#bell |title=Bell Returns BA609 to Test Flight |work=VTOL.org |publisher=[[American Helicopter Society]] |date=June 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927054320/http://www.vtol.org/news/issues605.html#bell |archive-date=27 September 2006}}</ref> On 22 July 2005, the first conversion from helicopter to aeroplane mode while in flight took place.<ref name="AHS July 2005">{{cite web |url=http://www.vtol.org/news/issues705.html#tilt |title=BA609 Tilt Rotor Makes Airplane Conversion |work=VTOL.org |publisher=[[American Helicopter Society]] |date=July 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927054404/http://www.vtol.org/news/issues705.html#tilt |archive-date=27 September 2006}}</ref> 

[[File:BA609 in airplane mode at 2008 Farnborough Airshow.jpg|thumb|An AW609 performing a flight demonstration in airplane mode at the 2008 [[Farnborough Airshow]]]]
By October 2008, 365 flight-hours had been logged by two prototype aircraft.<ref name="ain081007">{{cite news |url=http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/ba609-civil-tiltrotor-still-on-schedule/ |title=BA609 Civil Tiltrotor Still on Schedule |work=Aviation International News |first=R. Randall |last=Padfield |date=7 October 2008 |access-date=20 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016155545/http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/ba609-civil-tiltrotor-still-on-schedule/ |archive-date=16 October 2008 }}</ref> The AW609 demonstrated a safe dual-engine failure in normal cruise flight on 15 May 2009.{{sfn|Venanzi|Wells|2013|p=32}} By February 2012, this had risen to 650 hours, and it was reported that 85 per cent of the AW609's flight envelope had been explored.<ref name=Wynbrandt>{{cite news |url=http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/hai-convention-news/2012-02-11/aw609-finally-ready-its-close |title=AW609 Finally Ready for its Close-up |work=Aviation International News |first=James |last=Wynbrandt |date=11 February 2012 |access-date=14 February 2012 |archive-date=14 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214172623/http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/hai-convention-news/2012-02-11/aw609-finally-ready-its-close }}</ref> Test pilot Paul Edwards has stated that the AW609 was not susceptible to the [[vortex ring state]] phenomena, naturally slipping out of the vortex on its own since both rotors will not simultaneously enter the vortex ring state.<ref name="flglobal20150916">{{cite news |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/agustawestland-prepares-for-aw609-certification-push-416790/ |title=AgustaWestland prepares for AW609 certification push |work=Flightglobal.com |first=Dominic |last=Perry |date=16 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919170947/https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/agustawestland-prepares-for-aw609-certification-push-416790/ |archive-date=19 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2011, AgustaWestland began construction of a third prototype. That prototype was still not fully assembled by February 2015. The company plans to conduct test flights in Italy in the summer of 2015.  AgustaWestland planned to then disassemble it and ship it to [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], to prepare it for tests of the de-icing system in [[Minnesota]]. A fourth prototype, to be used in the development and testing of new avionics and control systems, was also underway.<ref>{{cite journal |title=AgustaWestland at full tilt to deliver AW609 on time |journal=Flight International |first=Kate |last=Sarsfield |volume=180 |issue=5320 |page=18 |date=6 December 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |first=Tony |last=Osbourne |title=Tilting times |journal=Aviation Week & Space Technology |date=2–15 March 2015 |pages=52–3}}</ref> By November 2012, over 700 flight hours had been accumulated by the two operational prototypes.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/in-focus-agustawestland-exploits-buoyant-civil-helicopter-market-378588/ |title=In focus: AgustaWestland exploits buoyant civil helicopter mark |work=Flight International via FlightGlobal.com |first=Murdo |last=Morrison |date=13 November 2012}}</ref> In January 2014, it was reported that in excess of 850 flying hours had been accumulated by the two prototypes. Accumulated flight data is used to further develop representative simulators, which are in turn being used to support the development program.<ref name=sim1>{{cite news |url=http://www.verticalmag.com/news/article/Flying-the-AW609:-a-preview |title=Flying the AW609: A Preview |work=Vertical |first=Elan |last=Head |date=20 January 2014 |access-date=20 January 2014}}</ref>

By March 2015, the two prototype aircraft had accumulated 1,200 hours, of about 2,000 hours necessary for certification.<ref name="ain2015-03-03"/> Two more aircraft were expected to fly that year.<ref name="avweb20150303"/> Flight test maximums had progressed to a weight of {{convert|18000|lb|kg|abbr=on}}, a speed of {{convert|293|kn|mph kph|abbr=on}}, and {{convert|30000|ft|m|abbr=on}} altitude.<ref name=vert2015-03-05>{{cite news |url=http://www.verticalmag.com/news/article/AW609TiltrotorMakingStridesTowardCertification |title=AW609 Tiltrotor Making Strides Toward Certification |work=Vertical Magazine |first=Rob |last=Erdos |date=5 March 2015 |access-date=16 March 2015}}</ref> In 2015, AgustaWestland reported that the AW609 flew {{convert|1161|km|mi|order=flip}} from [[Yeovil]], UK, to [[Milan]], Italy, in 2 hours 18 minutes.<ref name="finmec20150915">{{cite press release |url=http://www.finmeccanica.com/en/-/aw609-record |title=The AW609 TiltRotor sets speed record on 1000 km journey: 2 hours 18 minutes from UK to Italy |publisher=Finmeccanica |date=15 September 2015 |access-date=15 September 2015}}</ref> In September 2015, the first AW609 prototype was reportedly nearing the end of its service life, while a third prototype was finishing construction at the company's [[Vergiate]] facility and a fourth prototype was being built in [[Philadelphia]].<ref name="flglobal20150916"/>

On 30 October 2015, the second of the two prototypes (N609AG) crashed near AgustaWestland's [[Vergiate]] facility in north west Italy, killing both pilots.<ref name=fg20151030>{{cite news |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/aw609-crash-kills-two-pilots-in-northern-italy-418429/ |title=AW609 crash kills two pilots in northern Italy |work=FlightGlobal.com |first=Dominic |last=Perry |date=30 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=AW609 crash: final report points to oscillations and flight control laws | website=Vertical Mag | date=15 May 2017 | url=https://verticalmag.com/news/aw609-crash-final-report-points-oscillations-flight-control-laws/#:~:text=The%20aircraft's%20excessive%20yaw%20angle,in%2Dflight%20breakup%20and%20fire | access-date=16 February 2024}}</ref>