Hot new helicopter/rotorcraft news

[ChuckMK23]

After the "success" of the Lakota, nothing guarantees future success like a short fused, fast track, bid process.

What I've deduced from this thread discussion is all the options are known and evaluated at this point so it's now just a race to the bottom. Recruit and access cognitively strong and healthy young people, and train them on basic skills as quickly as possible that you can get them in a combat platform and build experience and skills efficiently.

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

Recruit and access cognitively strong and healthy young people, and train them on basic skills as quickly as possible that you can get them in a combat platform and build experience and skills efficiently.

This actually worked well during WWII and Viet Nam.
So maybe the reality is just as stated, get them to their combat aircraft with basic skills.
Survivability and combat success will depend on how rapidly the aviator adapts to the new aircraft and realities of the combat environment.

 

[croakerfish]

I keep hearing vague allusions to problems with the TH-73. Is someone who knows what is actually happening willing to weigh in?
My suspicion/prejudice is that the aircraft is actually fine but we kneecapped ourselves trying to get cheap when writing maintenance and supply contracts…again.

 

[Flash]

I'm worried that the Navy is rapidly heading in the same direction with the TH-73.

I keep hearing vague allusions to problems with the TH-73. Is someone who knows what is actually happening willing to weigh in?
My suspicion/prejudice is that the aircraft is actually fine but we kneecapped ourselves trying to get cheap when writing maintenance and supply contracts…again.

I've been wondering the same thing, especially since it seems to have gone relatively smoothly from an outside perspective.

 

[Griz882]

I've been wondering the same thing, especially since it seems to have gone relatively smoothly from an outside perspective.

The only thing I have heard, and it is “friend of a friend, who knows a guy” kind of stuff, has been the slow pace of repairing those helicopters damaged in wind storm last year.

 

[Griz882]

"The U.S. Army set a five-month deadline starting from June 3 for companies to submit bids to replace the Airbus UH-72 Lakota as the primary trainer for helicopter pilots. The solicitation for the Flight Training Next program calls for proposals formatted as white papers under a fast-track..."

View attachment 42729

If that’s the case I imagine Leonardo will be a major contender with an “Army” -73. The line is up, most of the bugs worked out, and the price pretty much set. Regardless, the politics of this are going to be fascinating.

 

[Griz882]

What I've deduced from this thread discussion is all the options are known and evaluated at this point so it's now just a race to the bottom. Recruit and access cognitively strong and healthy young people, and train them on basic skills as quickly as possible that you can get them in a combat platform and build experience and skills efficiently.

I have a friend who fell into an army training gap between the old piston Hughes TH-55 and the Jet Ranger. His entire training was done in UH-1’s. He feels his group are, by far, the best trained pilots ever produced by the army. The learning curve was steep, but post-training adaptation to a tactical airframe was a snap.

 

[ChuckMK23]

It would appear Leonardo will offer TH-73 to Army…

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1924815718874239065

 

[ChuckMK23]

More context...

Back to basics: Army revamps flight school after deadly crashes

The Army is preparing to sunset its Lakota helicopter as its primary basic trainer while bringing on an entirely new approach to its aviator schoolhouse.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Mouselovr]

I keep hearing vague allusions to problems with the TH-73. Is someone who knows what is actually happening willing to weigh in?
My suspicion/prejudice is that the aircraft is actually fine but we kneecapped ourselves trying to get cheap when writing maintenance and supply contracts…again.

This is from the student perspective, but the TH73 is quirky and an absolute blast to fly.
The biggest issue from what I understand is the cost. The 57 is comparable to the ole family honda civic with 250K+ miles. Uncomplicated, still works and doesn't cost much to run.
The 73 is a fancy Mercedes. European, expensive and we're still figuring out how to translate to the user manual.
For every part/ maintenance/or damage done to the 73, it costs exponentially more to fix.

From a safety standpoint:
I've never flown the 57, but all my instructors have stated the 73 is a significantly more challenging platform to auto due to the rotor head. Its a lot more high risk to keep students in a safety margin.

There's no "true" ESIS as its not independently powered from the generators.

With the new "spaceballs helmet" they are issuing everyone and the shape of the overhead panel, its very easy to knock into select overhead switches and shut off the electronics.

Other issues like lack of parts/qualified maintainers/ air craft inexperience can workout itself out with time.

In short, the fancy European helicopter costs more than expected and is worrying the longevity/lifespan of the 73.

 

[Lawman]

If that’s the case I imagine Leonardo will be a major contender with an “Army” -73. The line is up, most of the bugs worked out, and the price pretty much set. Regardless, the politics of this are going to be fascinating.

Leonardo and their BS with maintaining other systems should have been enough to leave a permanent bad taste in the mouth toward more programs run through them… but hey I’ve never questioned the ability of the military to blunder right back into the same mistake over and over again cluelessly.

 

[Griz882]

Leonardo and their BS with maintaining other systems should have been enough to leave a permanent bad taste in the mouth toward more programs run through them… but hey I’ve never questioned the ability of the military to blunder right back into the same mistake over and over again cluelessly.

I won’t argue. Having read the article @ChuckMK23 posted I will now officially change my Magic 8 Ball prediction to the R66 - the helicopters are mostly already there and easy to build (although I don’t like it). The 505 might be a competitive choice but according to @FlyNavy03 it might cause the same problems as the Lakota. I’m very interested to see what LockMart throws out there.

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

More context...

From the article...
“The brilliance of the COCO model is that it’s not my thing to worry about,” Maj. Gen. Gill said. “Now all I say is, ‘I want 1,350 pilots at the end of the year; you figure out how."

OK, I'm just an old Jar Head who retired from Army Aviation, but WHAT THE...!?!?!?
Is this really the Army's senior leadership's mentality?
Not my problem, it's all on the contractor?
I'm at a loss for words to express my disappointment in Gill.

 

[ChuckMK23]

If Iran can do it, surely the US Army can revive 500+ Kiowa Warriors...

Army Aviation boosts fleet with domestically refurbished helicopters

TEHRAN – In a ceremony at the Fourth Combat Aviation Base in Esfahan on Monday, Iran’s Army (Artesh) Aviation Unit integrated 10 refurbished helicopters into its fleet while celebrating the production of its 1000th indigenized aircraft part.

www.tehrantimes.com

 

[Gatordev]

There's no "true" ESIS as its not independently powered from the generators.

Can you expound on this a little more? I'm just curious from a systems standpoint. Is there more than one generator? Are they powered by the engine (with a Pratt engine, I'm guessing they are)? Or is one separate from the engine makes power from the rotor?