Marenco Swisshelicopter rolled out the third prototype (P3) SKYe SH09 in late June, according to an update the company issued last month. P3 “comes close to the serial version,” said the company. P2 has flown 50 hours, 30 of them in the last three months. Counting ground tests, P2 has been run for more than 100 hours. Plans call for P4 to be added to the test fleet early next year.

Meanwhile, the company is ramping up for serial production of the turbine single, ordering parts, expanding physical plant and adding to payroll. The physical plant consists of a 41,000-sq-ft production hall in Mollis that houses administrative offices and training and support facilities. A second production hall in Nafels will be used as a logistics center and the production location for rotor blades, since it has a large autoclave. Employee rolls have risen to 213 from 136, mainly among the engineering staff, and the company said overall employment will continue to grow in the 20 months leading up to serial production.

CEO Andreas Lowenstein said the company remains on track to certify the SKYe SH09 next year and deliver the first helicopters to customers from Mollis in 2019. Currently, the company holds fixed purchase contracts for 12 helicopters and international purchasing commitments for “more than 100.”

Marenco unveiled the $3.5 million single-turbine utility helicopter in 2009. The SH09 has all-composite construction, a flat-floor cabin and rear clamshell doors. It is a large single with a five-blade bearingless main rotor system and a shrouded tail rotor and is designed to carry one pilot and up to seven passengers. Power comes from a single Honeywell HTS900-2 turboshaft with Fadec. The SH09 will also be equipped with the Honeywell health and usage monitoring system (Hums), enabling operators to monitor mechanical rotating components and subsystems continuously and discover potential problems before they occur. Performance targets: 5,842 pounds mtow, 140-knot cruise speed and 430 nm range.