AgustaWestland chooses flight recorder from Curtiss-Wright for AW169 helicopter

CHARLOTTE, N.C., 30 Sept. 2012.Helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland in Amsterdam needed rugged flight recorders for the AW169 twin-engine civil helicopter. They found their solution from Curtiss-Wright Controls Inc. in Charlotte, N.C.

The Curtiss-Wright Controls Avionics & Electronics (CWC-AE) division will provide AgustaWestland with flight recorders for data acquisition and black box accident data and voice recorder helicopter avionics.

The AW169 is a 4-tonne class helicopter for law enforcement, emergency medical services, search and rescue, and VIP and corporate applications.

The rotorcraft has two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210A series turboshaft engines, seats one or two pilots and eight to 10 passengers, cruises as fast as 140 knots, and has heavy-duty landing gear for all-terrain operations.

"This flight recorder's lightweight design, small footprint, and flexibility for mounting directly to the airframe make its installation simple and convenient without adding significant weight or compromising valuable space with equipment racks or anti-vibration mounts," says David Adams, co-chief operating officer at Curtiss-Wright Corp.

Shipments of data recorder units for flight-testing of the AW169 started during the first quarter of 2012. Series product shipments are expected to start in 2013.

The Curtiss-Wright Controls Penny + Giles business unit of the CWC-AE division is manufacturing the products covered by this agreement at the company's facility in Christchurch, England.

The products are being shipped to AgustaWestland in Vergiate, Italy. For more information contact Curtiss-Wright Controls Avionics & Electronics online at www.cwc-ae.com.

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