The Leonardo AW609 tiltrotor recently conducted deck trials on an Italian navy ship. The 609 is projected to enter service later in the 2020s.
Talk about a protracted period of development -- the 609 first flew in 2003. It started out as the Bell/Augusta BA609, then became the Augusta/Westland AW609, and then became a Leonardo project.
It seems to me that a smaller tiltrotor like this has a myriad of potential uses. It can accommodate 9 or 6-7 in VIP form. It seems well-sized for SAR.
Talk about a protracted period of development -- the 609 first flew in 2003. It started out as the Bell/Augusta BA609, then became the Augusta/Westland AW609, and then became a Leonardo project.
It seems to me that a smaller tiltrotor like this has a myriad of potential uses. It can accommodate 9 or 6-7 in VIP form. It seems well-sized for SAR.