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Engineers Writing The Future Of Aviation In Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Just a few miles from Center City, Philadelphia, engineers are writing the future of aviation, with an aircraft expected to change the way we fly.

Engineers and technicians at the Leonardo Company in Philadelphia are working to build the first commercial tiltrotor in the world. The AW609 TiltRotor is half helicopter, half airplane, and it's expected to change the way we think about flying.

"It's an incredible feat for the industry," Leonardo Helicopters Philadelphia CEO Bill Hunt said.

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Hunt gave CBS3 an exclusive tour of the assembly line, where technicians are putting together the guts of a brand new test model.

Currently, the company has two tiltrotors testing in the air. One is in Italy near Leonardo's headquarters. The other is testing over Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

"The pilots are taking us to a new level in testing the aircraft," Hunt said.

One of those pilots is retired naval pilot Steven Labows.

"It's fantastic. You've got the best of both worlds," Labows said of the AW609.

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The tiltrotor is similar to the Osprey, used by the military, but think of the AW609 as the non-military version. Hunt says the AW609 TiltRotor will be used to rescue and transport patients to local hospitals. It's twice as fast as a typical medical transport helicopter.

"We're going to save lives. It's going to make a difference for sure in saving lives," Hunt said.

Hunt is confident the tiltrotor will be ready for delivery in early 2019. For more information about the AW609, visit the Leonardo Company by clicking here.

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