Agusta A109 Question

[China-sky]

Hello everyone

 

I am currently evaluating light twin for my EMS mission, I would like to ask some question and hope anyone of you can give me some suggestion.

 

How is the service and support for Agusta product?

 

Is A109 a solid machine for EMS mission?

 

Any recommendation for avionic upgrade and retrofit for the older model?

 

I am looking to buy a used one, mid 80s A109, do a nose to tail inspection, airframe inspeciton and repair, rewiring, avionics upgrade and a new EMS interior.

 

I listed out light twin option and came to a conclusion that since 222 and BK117 is out of production, 135 & 145 and 429 are too expensive. Agusta A109 seems to have a long history and still in production. Seems like a good candidate for refurbishment

 

Can anyone tell me if I am on the right track and if any of you can give me some suggestion

 

Tks alot

 

[twinstar_ca]

i moved this here, CS, because this section is EMS specific...

[Heliian]

The Swiss use that machine for sar/ems, they even have ski's for it. As for support, I'm not sure. You'd have to find an operator that puts some hours on their machine, the ones I've seen in North America are privately owned VIP machines that probably don't do more than a couple hundred a year. Hope that helps. Cheers.

[Skidz]

Air Medic used to operate one in Quebec for EMS. It was an older model (A109A I think). They couldn't operate IFR as the litter encroached on the co-pilot seat. I think they started stretching the cabin with the A109C...

[RedRag]

On the older 109's (A, MKII, C's) have a really good sheet metal guy handy. The tail boom and most of the structure seems more prone to cracking than most airframes I've delt with.

 

Wiring in between the gearwells is usually a greasy mess that needs replaced. Not sure how the support is in the Sperry autopilot electroncs is anymore.

 

If you're operating somewhere with lots of rain or snow, the tail rotor always seems to need balanced. Actually the tail is maintenance pig. No elastomerics, all shims and seems to get chewed up.

 

Gearboxes are solid, head spews 30 weight oil so get dark shirts! It's not a Bell or Eurocopter you'll always be tweaking on it to get it thru until the next 150 hour. It really needs attention so I'd have one engineer assigned to take care of it all the time.

 

Don't think you can get an IFR twin any cheaper, but it really needs a good bit of maintenance. Been away from them for awhile, not sure how the parts supply is anymore.

 

Hope that helps...

[MasterCylinder]

Mate,

 

If you're not looking at B222 and BK117 because they're out of production, why look at out of production models of the A109?

 

The A109E and A109 Grand are the production models of these types. Start there.

 

Not sure if you're monitoring these replies, but if you want more information, both fact and opinion, I'm happy to give you more first hand information on the A109E.

 

MC