Rotorcraft

BORDES, France - The Safran Arriel 2K engine that powers Leonardo's AW09 helicopter has received its type certificate from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This marks an important milestone toward the entry into service of the AW09, Leonardo's new single-engine helicopter.

The Arriel 2K underwent its first bench tests in 2022 and made its maiden flight on the AW09 in March 2023. Since then, it has accumulated more than 4,100 hours of testing, including over 600 hours in flight. Ground tests were carried out at the Safran Helicopter Engines site in Bordes, as well as at the DGA testing center in Saclay, near Paris, which included icing and endurance tests.

The Arriel 2K is a new member of the 1,000-shaft-horsepower (shp) power class within the Arriel 2 family of engines. It features an engine interface optimized for the AW09 and has been designed around a proven and robust gas generator featuring a two-stage compressor (one axial stage and one centrifugal stage) that delivers high compressor efficiency in a particularly compact package, combined with an annular combustion chamber. It is also equipped with a dual-channel FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) and an EACB (Engine Auxiliary Control Box), which reduces the pilot's workload.

Source: Safran
Associated URL: https://www.safran-group.com/pressroom/arriel-2k-engine-powering-leonardo-aw09-helicopter-has-received-its-easa-certification-2026-07-30

BRISTOL - The United Kingdom-based eVTOL startup Sora Aviation has penned a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with multinational supplier Toray Advanced Composites for the provision of manufacturing materials and production assistance for its flagship Sora S-1 eVTOL concept. The S-1 design concept is amongst the largest currently envisioned for the segment, with the company eventually aiming to introduce a 30-passenger aircraft onto the commercial market. Sora began conducting flight tests of a subscale demonstrator in early 2026, but the MOU with Toray takes the company one step closer to development and realization of a full-scale prototype. Sora has articulated a target of 2028 for the initiation of full-scale demonstrator testing, with the platform's commercial introduction planned for 2031. Under the new MOU, Toray will provide materials for both primary and secondary structures as Sora works to bring its concept into reality.

Source: Aviation International News
Associated URL: https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2026-07-28/sora-hip-hip-tooray-composite-collaboration

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Marine Corps marked the completion of the MV-22B Osprey Program of Record on July 28, 2026, after taking delivery of its 359th aircraft.

Developed to bridge the gap between rotary-wing and fixed-wing capabilities, the MV-22B combines the vertical takeoff and landing of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing airplane. This configuration allows the Marine Corps to transport personnel and cargo faster and farther than legacy platforms, operating from both amphibious ships and austere shore sites. Marine Expeditionary Unit-based MV-22Bs can extend the aircraft’s operational reach to almost any location around the globe.

Since reaching initial operational capability in 2007, the Marine Corps MV-22B fleet has flown more than 686,500 hours across 114 operational deployments. Today it provides 75 percent of all Marine Corps rotary-wing assault support.

With the final delivery, the Marine Corps is executing a long-term modernization strategy to keep the MV-22B operational through 2055. Current initiatives are focused on improving nacelle wiring to reduce maintenance hours, pursuing improved prop-rotor gear boxes with triple-melted, refined steel components, standardizing aircraft configurations across the fleet and redesigning key components to enhance safety and make the aircraft more sustainable.

Source: U.S. Marine Corps
Associated URL: https://www.marines.mil/News/Press-Releases/Press-Release-Display/Article/4557459/us-marine-corps-receives-final-mv-22b-osprey-completing-program-of-record/