Leonardo AW609

The Leonardo AW609, formerly the AgustaWestland AW609 and originally the Bell-Agusta BA609, is a twin-engined civil tiltrotor that takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter while offering a range and speed in excess of conventional rotorcraft, in a layout similar to that of the military Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey. The BA609 drew on Bell's earlier experimental XV-15 tiltrotor. Bell and Boeing formed a partnership in 1996 to develop a civil tiltrotor, Boeing withdrew in March 1998, and Agusta became a partner in September 1998, leading to the Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company. Ground tests of the prototype began on 6 December 2002 and the first flight took place on 7 March 2003 in Arlington, Texas. On 30 October 2015 the second prototype crashed near AgustaWestland's Vergiate facility in northern Italy, killing both test pilots. The aircraft is aimed at VIP customers and offshore oil and gas operators and is working toward certification in the 2020s.