The Leonardo AW09 final prototype takes flight!

Exciting news from Kopter Group AG as it embarks on the next phase of the AW09 certification program with the successful maiden flight of the latest prototype. On February 24th, PS5 soared through the skies at the Kopter facility in Mollis, Switzerland, for a 25-minute journey, allowing to complete all planned test points.

Michele Riccobono, Kopter CTO and Head of Flight Operations, who was on board PS5, together with Chief Test Richard Grant and Chief Test Engineer Adam Reynolds, commented: “Having participated to the first flight of all the three latest AW09 prototypes, I really perceived that PS5 benefitted from all of the improvements originating from the intensive P3 test campaigns and initial flights of PS4. The way the aircraft behaved today in its very first flight reflects all the efforts and commitment of our teams during the last years. With PS5 we have reached the standard we have been looking for since the beginning of this journey together.”

Marco Viola, Kopter Chief Executive Officer, added: “I am very proud of our Leonardo and Kopter teams and their ability to develop the AW09 next generation single engine rotorcraft. With PS5 joining PS4, we are set on the path towards certification. We continue to see a great interest from the market for the AW09, which offers the highest standards of safety, mission capability and cost efficiency, requested by our customers.”