AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat

what is it?

The AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat (previously called the Future Lynx and Lynx Wildcat) is a military helicopter, developed by the British-Italian helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland, and later marketed by the Italian aerospace company Leonardo. It is an improved version of the Westland Super Lynx designed to serve in the battlefield utility, search and rescue, aerial reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), utility, command and control, and troop transport duties. Development commenced during the early 2000s under the name Future Lynx to replace the existing Lynx helicopters then operated by both the Royal Navy and British Army.

🔎How to recognise it: 2 turboshaft engines · 12.8 m main rotor

base stats

• speed 311 km/htop speed
• range 777 kmwithout refuelling
• seats 6passengers
• size 6,000 kgmax take-off weight

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 17 years ago, in 2009.
• 🏎️Top speed is 2.4× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Rotor of 12.8 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.

turboshaft: A turbine that turns a shaft, usually a helicopter rotor.

spec sheet

first flight

2009-11-12

introduced

2014

status

still flying

number built

—

role

utility, sar and asuw helicopter

origin

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

makers

AgustaWestland, Leonardo

engines

2× LHTEC CTS800-4N

crew

2

passengers

6

length

15.2 m

rotor diameter

12.8 m

height

3.7 m

max take-off weight

6,000 kg

top speed

311 km/h

range

777 km

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family