Only 32 minutes on Wednesday Leonardo AW169 Lion of the Austrian Armed Forces for the flight from Hörsching near Linz to Langenlebarn near Tulln. This results in an average speed of a whopping 275 km/h for the approximately 147-kilometer flight route – with a top speed of “only” 283 km/h.
The AW169 could theoretically reach an even higher speed with its skid undercarriage, but above 283 km/h the flight control computer automatically reduces the engine power.
The reason for this lies in flight safety: as forward speed increases, the aerodynamic phenomenon of asymmetric lift occurs. Different angles of attack between the leading and trailing rotor blades result in unequal lift forces, which must be compensated for.
The air builds up on the leading rotor blade in the direction of flight, causing compression shocks. At the same time, the blade moving backwards has to compensate for the increased lift of the blade moving forwards with increasingly higher angles of attack – until it finally stalls.
This effect leads to increased vibration loads and an increased power requirement of the rotor, which has a negative impact on the service life of the aircraft. Modern flight control systems intervene here and prevent the aircraft from reaching dangerous limits.
The question remains: Why did the crew “beat the helicopter home at the limit”?
The answer: it didn’t. At an altitude of around 1,000 meters, the helicopter had a tailwind of around 50 km/h and was able to relax and fly towards its home base with normal power settings.
For the flight from Langenlebarn to Hörsching five hours earlier, the helicopter took 44 minutes in a headwind of around 30 km/h and reached an average speed of 200 km/h – still significantly faster than the old Alouette III, which was decommissioned at the end of 2023 (-> The Austrian Armed Forces celebrated the fly-out of the Alouette III), and the army’s OH-58, which is also getting on in years and will follow by the end of 2027. The maximum cruising speed of the AW169 is 268 km/h.
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