How did Agusta enter the helicopter world?

Short answer

Through licensing: Società Costruzioni Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta had been building aircraft since 1907, and the company refounded in 1945 by Countess Agusta and her sons acquired a license in 1952 to build the Bell Model 47. That start grew into a major helicopter maker.

Published: November 1, 2026 · Updated: November 1, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How did Agusta enter the helicopter world?

CC Agusta Bell AB 47G-3B-1 CC-14 Volandia 2024 (01)Bahnfrend (CC BY SA), vía commons

An aircraft manufacturer since 1907

Società Costruzioni Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta was founded in 1907 and remained active building aircraft until 1943. After World War II and the death of Count Agusta, Countess Agusta and her sons Domenico, Vincenzo, Mario, and Corrado founded Meccanica Verghera Agusta in 1945, in Verghera, Gallarate, Italy.

The Bell Model 47 license

In 1952 the firm acquired a license to build Bell Model 47 helicopters. From that beginning, Agusta went on to become a major helicopter design and manufacturing company.

From licensed work to in-house design

In the program that would lead to the A109, the design team came to recognize that the market found a twin-engine helicopter more appealing, so the project was revised in 1969. On August 4, 1971, the first of three prototypes made the type's maiden flight. At first, the A109 was marketed under the name "Hirundo," the Latin term for swallow, a name dropped after a few years. Compared with the then market leader, the Bell 206, the type offered several advantages: higher top speed, the redundancy of two engines, and greater seating capacity.