Agusta A.129 Mangusta

The Agusta A.129 Mangusta is an Italian helicopter of attack.

Origin

In 1978 the Italian manufacturer Agusta undertook the development of an anti-tank helicopter to meet the needs for the Army Italian and, like the other European manufacturers, planned to adapt a general-purpose light helicopter, in fact the A-109. But quickly it had to be realized that it was not possible and an entirely new machine was studied. First helicopter specifically designed in Europe for missions of combat, Mangusta offers the pace characteristic of the machines of this type. It is a two-seater out of tandem, largely calling upon composite materials in its construction, the fuselage, broad 95 cm, being able to resist projectiles of 12,7 mm and important deformations. The crew is installed in seats Martin-Baker Helicopter Armored Crashworthy Seats Mark 1 (HACS 1), shifted in height, gunner with before and pilot with the back, this last having in front of him of an visual angle 23° downwards. The canopy is made up of flat glasses, anti-reflecting armoured tanks and treaties. Resting on a train made up of two principal elements and a back caster, the apparatus is flanked short wings, of which the dihedron can vary +3° with -12°, supporting each one 2 points for the external loads: missiles TOW, rocket launcher, gun of 7,62,12,7 or 20 mm, the maximum loading being of 1.200 kg. The aircraft is equipped with 2 turbines Rolls-Royce Gem 2 Mk 1004D of 1 035 ch on the tree, 890 ch in continuous mode, licensed product by Piaggio with designation RR1004, actuating a rotor four-bladed and an anti two-bladed couple. The principal rotor is equipped with blades out of composite materials and the head of rotor of bearings elastomer not requiring any lubrication.

Versions carried out

A.129 Mangusta : the first of the 5 prototypes A-129 Mangusta accomplished its first flight the September 15th, 1983, the 5th in March 1986. After successful tests the Italian army ordered 66 apparatuses, orders brought back to 60 thereafter. After delays due primarily to problems of development of the systems of aiming of the missiles, the first 5 standard appliances were delivered in 1990. From the standard appliance n° a 16 certain number of modifications were brought to the standard appliances: blades of the principal rotor folding, tanks auxiliary, lighting of the instrument panel compatible with glasses of night vision, takes care radar and chaff launcher.

The production was stopped in 1992 after delivery of 45 apparatuses, the Italian army wishing to readjust its needs according to the end for the Cold war but also for emergence for new tensions in the world.

International A.129: In spite of the failure of the Tonal (See low) Agusta continued the development of Mangusta from the point of view of export sales. A prototype was thus remotorisé in 1988 with 2 turbines Allison-Garrett LHTEC T800 of 1200 ch, a new transmission and a system FADEC. In 1992 the same aircraft was equipped with a turret before equipped with a Lucas machine-gun with 12,7 Misters These tests ended in the first flight, on January 9th, 1995, of the A.129 International , aircraft equipped with 2 turbines LT800 and a turret before OtoBreda equipped with a gun with 20 mm tri-tube Alenia Difensa TM-197B (General Electric Gatling M197 under license). A.129 International was characterized also by its rotor 5 blades, a capacity of fuel increased, a new avionics and a cockpit modified with multifunction screens. This apparatus could receive air-to-air missiles anti-tank device AGM-114L Hellfire or missiles Stinger. A.129 was used as a basis for the T129 .
A.129CBT Mangusta : If the A.129 International did not succeed in attracting customers export, the Italian army had noted in Somalia that Mangusta, conceived for the fight anti-tank device, was unsuited to the operations of maintenance of law and order and fight antiguérilla. It thus transformed into 1999 its option out of 15 A.129 remaining to deliver to him in firm control for a new version of the aircraft, known as Combattimento (CBT) which took again part of the characteristics of the model intended for export: rotor 5 blades, front turret, avionics and possible use of missiles Stinger or Hellfire. The reinforced transmission was also adopted but the motorization was unchanged. The first A.129CBT was delivered to the Italian army at the end of 2002. Meanwhile an new agreement had been notified in January 2002 with Agusta for setting with the standard of the 41 A.129 still in service in A.129CBT
T129: on March 30th, 2007 the Turkey announced to negotiate with AgustaWestland the purchase of 52 helicopters based on the A.129 International but in front of being built in Turkey. This apparatus must be able to carry 12 Hellfire/TOW missiles instead of 8,4 Stinger missiles instead of 2, to receive a more powerful version of the turbine LHTEC T800 and especially a radar of monitoring and acquisition of targets IAI/ELTA of a range of 30 km assembled to the top of the rotor.

Projects without continuation

A.129 LBH : utility Multi-purpose helicopter ( L ight B attlefield H elicopter) having to transport 8 men equipped in addition to the two pilots. This project which required to redraw the fuselage completely was abandoned with the profit of a more ambitious machine, the AgustaWestland AW139.
A.129 Multi-Role:
A.129 Scout : Apparatus of recognition.
A.129 Shipboard : naval Proposed version, sometimes indicated Gannet, remained on the level of the drawing board.
Tonal A129: In 1986 the governments British, Italian, Netherlander and Spaniard signed an agreement of development for the realization of a version improved of A.129 under designation Joint European Helicopter Tonal. This new apparatus was to be more powerful, with a retractable train and a reinforced armament. In 1990 the governments British and Netherlander however decided to order AH-64 Apache, involving the abandonment of the Tonal program. Spain has on its side bought of the Eurocopter Tigre, just like Royal Australian Army, which had however considered the A.129 International within the framework of the program AIR 87.

Users

Italy: Taking part in the intervention of UNO in Somalia, the Italy detached 3 A.129 of at the end of 1992 in spring 1994, then 4 A.129 embarked on the door helicopter Garibaldi at the beginning of 1995. Armed with missiles TOW and containers of rockets not guided of 81 mm, Mangusta appeared of easy employment in a rudimentary environment. In 1997 Mangusta were also employed in Albania within the framework of the intervention of NATO, armed with guns FN-Herstal HMP-50 of 12,7 mm out of containers. Some apparatuses were detached in Afghanistan during 2007.
Turkey: 52 apparatuses to be delivered for 2012.

References

the site of the manufacturer

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