Leonardo Helicopters Marks a New Era in Aviation with First Flight of Next-Gen Tiltrotor
Leonardo Helicopters has marked a significant milestone in European civil aviation technology with the successful completion of the first flight of its Next Generation Civil Tiltrotor Technology Demonstrator (NGCTR-TD). The inaugural flight took place on December 19 at the company’s Cascina Costa facility near Milan, Italy, with test pilot Gianfranco Cito at the helm.
The NGCTR programme, a part of the EU’s Clean Sky 2 initiative, is set to revolutionize civil vertical lift. It combines the versatility of a helicopter with the performance of a fixed-wing aircraft. The tiltrotor is designed to achieve a cruise speed of 280 knots and a range of approximately 1,000 nautical miles. This opens up new possibilities for mobility, freight transport, and search-and-rescue missions, all while significantly reducing environmental impact.
The consortium behind the NGCTR, led by Leonardo, comprises 11 entities from various European countries. The key enabling technologies include:
- Advanced wing architecture
- Innovative tail layout
- Non-tilting engine installation with high-efficiency nacelle architecture
- An advanced modular Flight Control System
After successful ground runs in July 2024, the demonstrator is now entering its flight test phase. The plan is to accumulate 200 flight hours to validate performance improvements in CO₂, NOx, and noise reduction.
Source: Flight Global