The BA609: the world’s first civilian tiltrotor

Here’s the Bell/Agusta BA609, the world’s first civilian tiltrotor:

The BA609 Tiltrotor combines the speed, altitude, and comfort of a turboprop with the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of a helicopter. Having cruising capabilities of 25,000 ft., this versatile aircraft will fly in icing conditions and extreme climates, from Arctic to desert. With seating up to nine passengers and at twice the speed of typical helicopters of comparable capacity, the BA609 is designed to be the best multi-mission aircraft for the task. An executive could conceivably take off from the helipad of a country house outside London, fly in comfort to a meeting in Frankfurt in just 60 minutes, then fly on to Zurich, Milan and back home for early dinner. All with a minimum of ground transportation requirements.

If you also find this aircraft sexy, then take a look at this gallery. At the MathWorks website, they have a PDF document explaining how MATLAB was used to design and simulate the BA609’s control systems. Interesting stuff.

Tags: Aeronautics, BA609