What does "Hirundo," the A109C's name, mean?

Short answer

"Hirundo" is the Latin word for swallow. It was the marketing name under which Agusta initially launched the A109, not a designation specific to the A109C variant, and it was dropped after a few years. The type had first flown on 4 August 1971.

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

What does "Hirundo," the A109C's name, mean?

Pilatus Agusta A109 schwebendIkiwaner (CC BY SA), vía commons

A swallow in Latin

"Hirundo" is the Latin term for swallow, and it was the name under which the A109 was initially marketed, although it was dropped after a few years.

The helicopter that carried it

The project was revised in 1969, when the design team came to recognise that the market found a twin-engined helicopter more attractive. On 4 August 1971, the first of three prototypes made the type's maiden flight. Compared with the then market leader, the Bell 206, the A109 offered several advantages: higher maximum speed, the redundancy of two engines and greater seating capacity.

The company that built it

The Società Costruzioni Aeronautiche Giovanni Agusta was founded in 1907 and built aircraft until 1943. After the Second World War 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. In 1952 the firm acquired a licence to build Bell Model 47 helicopters. From that beginning, Agusta went on to become a major helicopter design and manufacturing company.