New Army Aviation Options?

"Thomas Schoene" wrote in message
ink.net...
I just wanted to start a new thread specifically to look at the new
aircraft
the Army is talking about buying instead of the Comanche, and see what
options there are available. As I read the briefings, there are basically
three new manned platforms. I doubt there is funding for new designs in
any
of these roles. While it is really premature to say too much, with no
actual performance requirements set, I'm curious what options folks see
for
each.

1) Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (368 to be bought).

Could this be a Sikorsky H-76?

The USCG is using A-109s for their armed helicopter role; is this an
option?

I'd say both could be potential candidates, as could the MD 600 or 900
series (though the Army has in the past rather disliked the NOTAR concept,
having modified those MH-6's they had in that configuration back to
conventional tail rotor designs). Somewhat off-the-wall candidate would be
the A-129 Mangusta, which unlike the other candidates you note (other than
the H-76, to some extent) already has a well developed armament and sensor
suite. The Tiger is a no-show; probably more expensive than the other
candidates, and with a lot of political baggage to overcome.


2) Light Utility Helicopter (303 to be bought)

I know the Bell 412 has been mentioned.

Might the Marine Corps UH-1Y also be a candidate? (Is this Huey II?)

I doubt the UH-1Y could be a candidate. They are dependent upon having the
requisite airframes available for modification, and the Army Hueys were
quite different from the twin-engine USMC variants. Huey II is another
aircraft modification program, much less dramatic than the UH-1Y program.
The II retained the same rotor and mast system, with new engine/transmission
and revised tail rotor and stabilizer, and I would assume some "glass
cockpit" work, along with the more streamlined nose of the 412 series. I
think the Army would just as soon get completely away from the old
cumbersome rotor system and have rigid rotor mounts across its entire fleet,
so I would bet the 412 has the edge. One possible caveat to my first comment
on the -1Y--if there were enough old USAF UH-1N's at DM and they could be
modified to the same standard as the -1Y, then that could possibly make it a
viable alternative.


3) C-XX Intra-Theater Lift (25 to be bought)

Presumably C-27J is the frontrunner. What other options are there?

Realistically, just the CN-295. Odds are the C-27J gets that one; some
commonality with the C-130J family is a plus, and the folks at NGB (or at
least NGAUS) have already expressed some interest in it in the past. ISTR
that the cargo space geometry in the Spartan is a bit better than the CN-295
as well.

Brooks



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Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail
"If brave men and women never died, there would be nothing
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