The AW119 is a single-engine multirole helicopter.
AgustaWestland promote the type as possessing excellent flight qualities with high levels of controllability, manoeuvrability and inherent safety.
The design of the rotorcraft is derived from Agusta’s earlier and highly successful A109 helicopter, differing primarily by being equipped with a single engine (as the A109 was originally designed), a Pratt & Whitney PT6B-37A turboshaft engine, and using fixed skids in place of the A109’s retractable wheeled landing gear arrangement.
The AW119 shares the same cockpit and cabin of the AW109, along with commonality with various other systems, while costing roughly half of the latter’s price tag.
The AW119 employs a four-bladed fully articulated main rotor; the composite rotor blades are designed to produce maximum lift with minimum noise, and feature tip caps to reduce noise and elastomeric bearings with no lubrication requirements.
Aluminum honeycomb structural panels are used throughout the airframe, which absorb both noise and vibration, thus requiring no additional vibration absorption systems to be employed.
The PT6B-37A powerplant of the AW119, located in the same area as the AW109’s engines, is capable of providing high power margins along with generous speeds and endurance.
AgustaWestland states that the AW119 retains the system redundancy of dual engine helicopters, such as the hydraulics and the dual independent stability augmentation systems.
The gearbox has a 30-minute dry run capability.
The AW119 Koala has been used for various roles, including utility, emergency medical services (EMS), offshore, law enforcement, and executive transport.
A key selling point of the type is its wide-body fuselage, which allows for up to seven passengers to be seated in a three-abreast in the cabin; for the EMS mission, up to two litters along with medical attendants and full emergency medical equipment suite can be accommodated, whereas most similar-sized helicopters can only carry one.
The unobstructed cabin area and separate baggage compartment can be rapidly reconfigured to suit a range of different missions and roles.
Several different cabin interiors may be adopted to accommodate different missions and operations, such as executive/VIP, EMS, and utility options; the cockpit can also be isolated from the cabin.
The AW119 has been promoted as possessing the largest cabin in its class; the reported cabin volume is approximately 30% greater than other rotorcraft in its class.
A wide range of avionics have been integrated upon the AW119, which are typically housed within the rotorcraft’s nose.
Initial production models featured conventional flight instruments; the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit is integrated on the newer AW119Kx variant, which is claimed to improve situational awareness, reduce pilot workload, and increase safety.
Primary flight and other key information is displayed to the pilots upon two large 10.4 inch multi-function displays in the cockpit; an independently powered stand-by display is also present in case of system failure.
Other avionics used include a 3-axis aircraft flight control system (AFCS), Synthetic Vision System (SVS), Highway In The Sky (HITS) depiction, moving map display, radio altimeter, VOR/ILS/GPS/WAAS navigation, Aural Warning Generator, and embedded Helicopter Terrain Avoidance Warning System (HTAWS).
A variety of equipment can be equipped, dependent on operator choice and role; these include an external hoist, dual cargo hook, dual flight controls, baggage compartment extension, snow skis, windshield wipers, rotor brake, multi-band radios, active noise reduction headsets, soundproofing, oxygen systems, loud speakers, search lights, retractable landing light, emergency floatation equipment, reinforced windshield, wire strike protection system, rappelling kit, fire fighting belly tank, and a forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera.
Three fuel tanks, located behind the rear seats in the cabin, are installed as standard; up to two additional optional tanks can be fitted for a total of five, providing a flight endurance of nearly six hours.
Variants
A119
Designation for the original production version; maximum take-off weight: 2,720 kg (5,997 lb).
AW119
Designation for the A119 following the merger of Agusta and Westland Helicopters.
AW119 MkII
Improved version, featuring redesigned rotors, greater payload, and better fuel efficiency; maximum take-off weight: 2,850 kg (6,283 lb).
AW119 Ke
Marketing designation for the AW119 MkII (Koala Enhanced).
AW119 Kx
Successor to the Ke model with Garmin G1000H avionic suite, produced in Philadelphia, USA and Hyderabad, India.
