On board the AW189

The AW189 is a 8.3 ton twin-engine helicopter, designed to answer the growing market demand for a versatile, affordable, multirole platform.

Designed with inherent multi-role capability and flexibility of operation, the AW189 is capable of carrying up to 19 passengers at very high speed, in a spacious and comfortable cabin.

Liebherr is a major supplier of the AW189, with three product lines on board:

Air management system

Liebherr supplies the cabin air conditioning system based on a vapour cycle system. The compressors are electrically-driven and power a two zones cabin and cockpit air cooling system. In cold conditions, a heating system fed by air bled from the engines provides warm air to the passengers.

Liebherr supplies all components of the system including heat exchangers, valves, controller, and cockpit panel to select the temperature to be supplied automatically for the passengers' best comfort. The company also supplies the AW189 cabin and cockpit air distribution which includes ducts, valves, fans, diffusers and gaspers.

Flight control system

Liebherr has developed the fly-by-wire main and tail rotor actuator for the AW149. The fly–by-wire system allows for superposition of the pilot inputs with additional control inputs for trim or auto control. These control inputs are mainly responsible for improving the pilot’s comfort and support a safe flight. The main advantage of the fly-by-wire technology is an easier integration of complex control and protection functions.

Landing gear system

The AW189 starts and lands on the landing gear, completely supplied by Liebherr. This includes everything from the landing gear control panel with the lever implemented in the cockpit up to the wheels and brakes installed on the retractable landing gear legs. Liebherr also provides the helicopter's landing gear extension and retraction system, including actuators, the hydraulic valve and position switches.