I've been hearing that there have been some issues with quality control and fielding of the TH-73. Any truth to the rumors?
-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
TH-73
- Thread starter KWpilot58
- Start date
KWpilot58
Active Member
Its been a while since I've been on, but here's an update. Our aircraft are in production and being built and we expect to get our first AW119 in the coming months. For the most part it models the Navy's TH-73. Same package with the Genesis and autopilot, engine etc. Still haven't received the POH and kind of irritated with that. I'm going to be one of the Instructor Pilots and the Check Airman for the helicopter just trying to find a Navy counterpart who is now teaching the TH-73 for some insight. I'll be at the HAI conference in Dallas from the 8th-10th, PM me like to meet up with some folks who have been flying the 119
Be Safe Joe
Be Safe Joe
Judging from this photo it looks like HT-8 (and I assume the others) are doing a combo. I wonder if the new ships aren’t set aside for the advanced side of the syllabus and the old Sea Rangers bashed up on first time autorotation practice?
When I was there (left just prior to receipt of the first 73) the plan was for students to stick with the same platform throughout the syllabus. Once the first class in a squadron starts on the 73 they’ll shed the 57 by graduation of the legacy studs.
Makes sense.
Currently HT-8 (with a plus up of IPs from 18 and 28) are completing the first transition IUT syllabus. This class of about 12 previously TH-57 qualified IPs will be the first cadre of instructors to teach students in the TH-73. First classes of students should start sometime around the end of the summer but it will be a phased process so some students will go 73, while the rest go 57 until the squadron completes all IP transitions. About 15 TH-73's delivered with roughly three getting delivered per month.
I got a chance to fly it last month. Really nice aircraft, big step up from the TH-57. Lots of power, 21st century avionics, and she wants to go fast. Overtorques will be a thing of the past, but she autos more like a 60 than a 57 (low inertia rotorhead) so Nr control and overspeeds will be the biggest challenge for IPs to overcome with students, IMHO.
I actually got to watch our AMSO doing some of the anthro testing, it's a pretty interesting process. I have no idea what came out of that, but even though the cockpit overall is a bit roomier than the 57, it's not profoundly bigger (more so vertically i.e. headroom), so I don't expect them to change all that much. Seat is fore/aft adjustable and strokes, but not up/down adjustable. Pedals adjust similarly to the 57. I found it very comfortable to sit in...but I'm 5'7"...
My info is dated but yeah they were planning on keeping full autos in the syllabus.
I've heard they've been having mission availability issues?
I overheard from a reliable source over the weekend that the full autos were getting nixed. Again, just what I overheard and it could be conjecture. But we students were told recently about the problems that the transition IPs were having with frequent overspeeds, so it could be the case.
Ironic if this is indeed true. Syllabus full autorotation was a *prime requirement* in aircraft selection. It's what excluded the more advanced contenders - eg Bell 427 and AB H135. Unreal. Leonardo employed a bench of mostly Navy TPS grads, so it makes you wonder why the issues of controlling overspeed wasn't surfaced ....
Because Navy TPS grads have golden arms. ??
Glad to see some things never change.