Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia


Role	Experimental tiltrotor VTOL aircraft
National origin	Italy
Manufacturer	AgustaWestland
First flight	June 2011
Status	Under development / flight testing

In December 2010, AgustaWestland's management approved the formation of a team under James Wang with the intention of producing a technology demonstrator incorporating as many new innovations as possible on a single airframe.[2] Speaking in 2013, Wang noted that electric technologies were rapidly advancing, and that the function of Project Zero was to achieve readiness with electric aircraft technologies: "Rather than waiting for the battery to become even better, then working on electric aircraft technology, the team has positioned itself to be ready for the next generation of batteries"

Design

The AgustaWestland Project Zero is a hybrid tiltrotor/Lift fan aircraft. It has been developed by AgustaWestland as a technology demonstrator, and is used to investigate all-electric propulsion and other advanced technologies. It is the world's first electric tiltrotor aircraft.

Development

Reveal and further development

On 4 March 2013, the existence of the program was announced to the public at the Helicopter Association International (HAI) Heli-Expo.^[10] In June 2013, the aircraft was publicly displayed at the Paris Air Show.^[11] In early 2014, the Project Zero team was awarded AHS International's prestigious 2014 Grover E. Bell Award—named for Larry Bell's late brother—given to the individual or organization that has fostered and encouraged research and experimentation in helicopter development.^[

Agusta/Westland now Leonardo

AgustaWestland Project Zero ,
First flight June 2011 Status Under development / flight testing

General characteristics

In June 2011, the unmanned demonstrator conducted its first tethered flight at AgustaWestland's Cascina Costa facility in Italy. It was flown in secured areas multiple times in 2011 and 2012, including flights with and without the ducted shrouds around its tilting rotors; a further modification included an alternative and more advanced set of rotor blades with a non-linear twist and custom airfoils being installed. Flight testing allowed for the fine-tuning of the propulsion system, which resulted in a 30 per cent gain in effective power

Specifications

Project Zero has made numerous public appearances since being revealed in March 2013. Flight testing has also continued, this has focused on 1/3rd-scale models rather than the full-scale demonstrator due to the limited flight endurance it possesses. In February 2016, it was announced that a hybrid drive system would be installed on the full-scale aircraft, this is aimed at extending the flight endurance from 10 minutes to 35–45 minutes

Special Links AgustaWestland Inc. Project Zero ,

Links to Youtube & Others

The Eurocopter EC725 Caracal, now called Airbus Helicopters H225M, is a long-range tactical transport military helicopter developed from the Eurocopter AS532 Cougar.

AgustaWestland
Project Zero

The EC725 is based on the Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar, improving upon

Youtube Link

The EC725 was developed to meet a French Air Force requirement for a specialist helicopter for Combat Search and Rescue operations.

AgustaWestland Leonardo
Project Zero
First flight June 2011 Status Under development / flight testing

AgustaWestland
Project Zero

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History Agusta/Westland now Leonardo
AgustaWestland Project Zero ,
First flight June 2011 Status Under development / flight testing