Bell, Agusta Join Forces to Build and Market Rotorcraft By Chris Genna, Contributing Editor FARNBOROUGH, England - Bell Helicopters, looking for a partner in its 609 civilian tilt-rotor ever since Boeing bowed out early this year, announced Tuesday it had found one in Agusta, an Italian firm itıs had dealings with for 46 years. Bell Helicopter Textron and Finmeccanica subsidiary Agusta will team up to produce Bellıs 609 and Agustaıs 139. Bell Chairman and CEO Terry D. Stinson and Agusta President and CEO Amedeo Caporaletti announced in a prepared statement that the joint venture "will create significant synergies in the design, development production and marketing" of both aircraft. "The core of the deal," Caporaletti said, "is the great confidence each company has in the other." He added it "is probably more important to Agusta than Bell" because it will be the first time the Italian firm has shared in a domestic-U.S. aircraft program. The Bell-Agusta 609 is the eight-place civilian spinoff of Bell-Boeingıs V-22 Osprey, a craft that can takeoff and land vertically, but tilts the rotors forward in flight to give performance similar to a conventional turboprop transport. A full-scale mockup is on display at Farnborough; first flight is set for late 2000 and first delivery in April 2002. Bell has commitments from 40 customers for 68 of the aircraft, Stinson said. The Agusta-Bell 139 is a twin-turbine conventional helicopter that will carry 12-15 passengers, operate from high-altitude helipads in hot weather, and fly 730 kilometers at 160 knots. It will have an unobstructed cabin for cargo versions and the latest Honeywell integrated avionics. Both aircraft are in the 5- to 7-ton transport category and will use the same engines, 1,850 shaft horsepower PT6C-67Cs. Stinson said Agusta will invest in the 609 and participate in its development, manufacture components for it, and complete final assembly of the tilt-rotors to be delivered in Europe. Bell will perform final assembly of AB139s to be delivered in North America. The joint venture will perform worldwide marketing and service support for both aircraft. Neither Stinson nor Caporaletti could offer details about the extent of each companyıs investment in the otherıs product. The joint venture still mus be approved by the Textron and Finmeccanica boards of directors. Caporaletti said the joint venture would have no adverse effect on merger negotiations Agusta continues to conduct with Westland Helicopters. "It affects the negotiations positively," he said, "since there will be more (for Agusta) to put in the basket." The Agusta executive said the joint venture has Westlandıs blessing and he hopes to conclude the merger talks by the end of the year; that deal might be done by mid-1999.