UK-Italian engineering collaboration reaps its rewards

29 November 2019

A team of British and Italian engineers from Leonardo has been recognised by the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) for its work on the AW159 helicopter’s Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS).

A DAFCS, which provides stabilisation and flight path control, aids pilots by reducing overall workload, allowing more time to have greater awareness of their environment and emerging situations.

Led by Andy Handcock, who is the AFCS Team Lead for the AW159, Lynx and AW101 helicopters, the team received the 2019 RAeS Bronze Team Award in recognition for the step change in capability achieved with the advancement of rotary-wing engineering capability. The RAeS awards are presented for notable contributions to the advancement of Aerospace, Art, Science and Engineering.