AgustaWestland AW101 - Variants

Variants

Pre-production

• PP1 – Westland-built basic air vehicle prototype, first flown 9 October 1987.
• PP2 – Agusta-built Italian basic air vehicle prototype first flown on 26 November 1987 and used for deck trials but was destroyed on 21 January 1993 following a rotor brake malfunction.
• PP3 – Westland-built and the first civil configured Heliliner, used for engine vibration tests and icing trials in Canada.
• PP4 – Westland-built British naval prototype, lost in an accident on 7 April 1995 after a drive train control rod failure.
• PP5 – Westland-built Merlin development aircraft eventually equipped with Merlin avionics.
• PP6 – Agusta-built development aircraft for Italian Navy variant first flown 26 April 1989.
• PP7 – Agusta-built military utility aircraft with rear-loading ramp.
• PP8 – Westland-built civil prototype.
• PP9 – Agusta-built military utility prototype with rear-loading ramp.

Model 110

Italian Navy ASW/ASuW variant, eight built. Powered by T-700-GE-T6A1 engines. Fitted with Eliradar APS-784 radar and Honeywell HELRAS dipping sonar. Armed with torpedoes or Marte anti-ship missiles.

Model 111

Royal Navy ASW/ASuW variant, designated Merlin HM1 by customer. Powered by RTM322 engines and fitted with Blue Kestrel radar, Thomson Marconi FLASH dipping sonar and Orange Reaper ESM. 44 built.

Model 112

Italian Navy early warning variant with same airframe as Model 110 but with Eliradar HEW-784 radar in large underfuselage radome. Four built.

Series 200

Proposed military utility version with no rear-loading ranp.

Series 300 Heliliner

Proposed civil transport with no ramp. In 2000, British International Helicopters conducted service trials using PP8; these did not lead to a commercial service.

Series 310

Proposed version of Heliliner with full airline avionics for operation from oil platforms. No production.

Model 410

Italian Navy transport variant with folding rotors and tail boom. Four built.

Model 411

Royal Air Force transport variant, designated Merlin HC3 by customer, 22 built.

Model 413

Italian Navy special forces and amphibious assault transport with more advanced avionics.

Model 500

Proposed civil utility variant with rear-ramp.

Model 510

Civil utility variant with rear ramp, two built. One used for Tokyo Metropolitan Police Agency and one used to support US101 bid (with links to Skyfall) .

Model 511

Canadian Forces search and rescue variant, designated CH-149 Cormorant by customer, 15 built.

Model 512

Merlin Joint Supporter for Royal Danish Air Force. Eight acquired for search and rescue (512 SAR) and six for tactical transport (512 TTT). Six transport Merlins sold to RAF (as Merlin HC.3As) and replaced by six new build helicopters.

Model 514

Portuguese Air Force search and rescue variant, six built.

Model 515

Portuguese Air Force fisheries protection variant, two built.

Model 516

Portuguese Air Force combat search and rescue variant, four built.

Model 518

Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force mine countermeasures and transport variant, two built.

Model 519

Presidential Transport variant for the United States Marine Corps as the VH-71 Kestrel, four test vehicles and five pilot production aircraft built.

Merlin HM1

Royal Navy designation for the Model 111.

Merlin HM2

Avionics retrofit of 30 HM1s for the Royal Navy.

Merlin HC3

Royal Air Force designation for the Model 411.

Merlin HC3A

Royal Air Force designation for six former Royal Danish Air Force Model 512s modified to UK standards.

Merlin HC4/4A

Planned conversion of Ex RAF HC3/3A for RN use. Tail and blade folding plus (possible) avionics upgrade.

Merlin ASaC5

Planned conversion of 8 RN HM1 for use in carrier based airborne early warning role.

CH-148 Petrel

Ship-based anti-submarine helicopter for Canada. 35 originally ordered by the Canadian Forces, reduced to 28 and cancelled in 1993.

CH-149 Chimo

Search and rescue helicopter for Canada. 15 ordered by the Canadian forces, but later cancelled.

CH-149 Cormorant

Search and rescue helicopter for Canada, 15 ordered and delivered.

Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel

USMC variant intended to serve as the US Presidential helicopter.

SH-101A

Italian military designation from 2012 for the MP variant.

EH-101A

Italian military designation from 2012 for the AEW variant.

UH-101A

Italian military designation from 2012 for the ASH variant.