MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
Replaces the TH-57 Sea Ranger, which they have been operating for 50 years.
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First Leonardo TH-73 Helicopter Delivered to USN
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FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
I've worked with Agusta products and they really suck! Bad product support, things always breaking, our mechanics were always stressed to the max. I hope the Navy has better luck dealing with these folks!
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- #4
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
Gotta wonder why a trainer version of the UH-72 would not have worked at least as well, and there would have been some commonality as well.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
I worked with the civilian version of the UH-72 (EC145) and IMO another POS. I was told they performed well but there were always issues with the "variable rotor speed and torque matching system" AKA VARTOMS. I planned maintenance for 4 EC145s and at any given time it seemed at least one was broke.
I tend to agree with your opinion related to AW/Leonardo
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- #7
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
Here is one for you,
The US Army's new light helicopter, the UH-72A Lakota, is just starting to come on-line but they've discovered a rather critical flaw. The ship shows problems with overheating in environments that are considered warm but well below the average temperatures of the areas the Army is currently deployed.
Now, the UH-72A was bought for non-combat use, so deployment to war zones overseas was not supposed to happen, but I think we all know how that will work out in the end. Were DC-3's supposed to fly into combat, let alone strafe targets?
And it do get hot in the USA. I recall Bill Gunston, the famous aviation writer, saying that he praised the US aviation industry so much that he was asked why he did not move there. His response was that he viewed only a very small area of the USA as being actually habitable, the original settlers clearly being of incredibly hardy stock that could take anything. And so we have a new European helicopter that is not of such hardy stock.
The US Army's new light helicopter, the UH-72A Lakota, is just starting to come on-line but they've discovered a rather critical flaw. The ship shows problems with overheating in environments that are considered warm but well below the average temperatures of the areas the Army is currently deployed.
Helicopters generally do not have a lot of excess performance. Air conditioners work by taking bleed air out of the engine (instead of sending it all of the turbine where it produces power) and running through an air cycle air conditioning system to turn it into cool air. For helicopters one approach to mitigate the power requirements was to mix the cool air with air taken from the cabin in order to reduce the amount of bleed air required. This is possible because they do not try to pressurize the cabin.
Now, the UH-72A was bought for non-combat use, so deployment to war zones overseas was not supposed to happen, but I think we all know how that will work out in the end. Were DC-3's supposed to fly into combat, let alone strafe targets?
And it do get hot in the USA. I recall Bill Gunston, the famous aviation writer, saying that he praised the US aviation industry so much that he was asked why he did not move there. His response was that he viewed only a very small area of the USA as being actually habitable, the original settlers clearly being of incredibly hardy stock that could take anything. And so we have a new European helicopter that is not of such hardy stock.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
I worked on a program where Lakotas was supposed to replace 2 or 3 UH-1Hs. Within a year our customer pulled the Hueys out of mothballs and got rid of the Lakotas
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- #9
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
Our Sheriff's Dept got two UH-1H surplus for about $5K each and put them in flying condition. One was ex-USAF and had been used as an Aggressor chopper, with a different kind of camo. They took the big side doors off it.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
I did work for Dale County Sheriff Dept., they had 2 OH-58s and a Loach, all army surplus
It's funny, because the fore-runner, the BK117 was extremely reliable. So much so that the company I worked for at the time put up-rated LTS101-850 engines in them to get Cat-A performance.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
The company I retired from had a few 117s still operating and they were reliable
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- #13
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
Our Sheriff's Dept got a number of OH-58's, stripped some for parts, and keeps three in flying condition. One is still in its OD and has floats - it was shot down in VN -but the others have the usual kind of police paint job, spotflights, and FLIR. At any one time they are putting one 58 through "Mod-IRAN."
They installed a surplus hoist in the Aggressor UH-1H.
They installed a surplus hoist in the Aggressor UH-1H.
you should listen all this "warm opinions" German military has expressed after they had swapped Bo105/PAH-1 to Tigers - i've been pretty sure that have been ready to use this helicopters against Airbus folks - but it does no matter - all this helicopter can attack is budget of Heers Fliegertruppen. I always considered what is standing behind fact that next generation of machines we are producing is inferior to one is replacing - i tend to take risk with statement that source of this is corporate/iphone culture. With all this fancy gadgets we may put in design right now we are simply loosing purpose - something called "big picture" exist only on appendix slides in management powerpoint slides and is no longer real design driver.
Not a fan of this. We used the civil version the A109 down in the Gulf. They are electrical and avionics nightmares in marine environments.
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- #16
MIflyer
1st Lieutenant
cammerjeff
Staff Sergeant
That was my experience exactly! I also wish my former branch better luck with them!
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
They have a factory outside of Philadelphia
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
It's called offset and many countries do this. I believe the Leonardo factory been in operation for about 5 years. The entire helicopter may not be built there or just final assembly with certain parts coming from Italy, that would be specified in the contract.
