Yeovil – The AW609 tiltrotor made by AgustaWestland Finmeccanica has set a new speed record on a route a “point to point” thousand-kilometer journey. The aircraft, which has the unique ability to combine the speed of a turboprop with the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of a helicopter, covered the distance of 1,161 km that separates the company’s site in Yeovil, in the south-east of England, to Cascina Costa di Samarate, near Milan, in just 2 hours and 18 minutes. This is a real breakthrough for commercial transport: the AW609 will link two major cities – London and Milan – by reducing journey times by 30%-50% compared to the combined use of a car, helicopter and or business jet. (9Colonne)
