AgustaWestland to Launch Light Twin

The British-Italian manufacturer will launch a program to develop that aircraft by the end of the year, its CEO, Guiseppe Orso, said in answer to a Rotor & Wing question at his Farnborough Air Show press conference today.  The  4-5-ton aircraft would fill a gap in AW's product line between the 3.5-ton A109S Grand and the 7-ton AW139 medium twin. AW already is at work on developing concepts for the XX9 program, as Orsi called it, which likely would be unveiled officially at Heli-Expo 2009. For related news