NH 90 helicopters, are they dogs?

[raumatibeach]

Gday all , first post here after reading for a fair while.The RNZAF has bought some new helicopters and they appear to have their share of teething problems , anyone know much about them?

Defence 'happy' with new choppers | Stuff.co.nz

The Defence Force has welcomed its first new $85 million helicopter and is confident the fleet will be problem-free, despite a plague of issues with the machines overseas.

Military brass held a blessing ceremony in Wellington yesterday, following the NH90's maiden flight from Ohakea Air Base.

Nine of the medium-range helicopters were ordered for $771m in 2006 to replace the ageing fleet of Iroquois but, despite test flights in France two years ago, delivery was delayed because of software integration and certification issues.

The first two arrived late last year, with the remaining seven due to arrive by late next year. One will never fly and will be used for spare parts.

Despite being state of the art, the helicopters have been far from problem-free overseas.

Germany was one of the first countries to take delivery of the NH90 and problems soon emerged, including limited interior space and seats that could not support their weight.

Australia also ordered a large number of the machines but after serious difficulties the helicopters are still only cleared for testing and training.

Problems with the Australian NH90s include compressor blades rubbing in the engine causing uneven cooldown, leaving the chopper unable to be flown after a few hours.

Failure with transmission oil cooler fans, windscreen cracking, the navigation system failing to align and the helicopter's floor fracturing under troops' boots have also been identified as issues.

Most of the Australian NH90s are assembled in Australia, not in Europe as the New Zealand machines are.

Chief of Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Peter Stockwell said he was confident New Zealand's NH90s would not suffer from the same problems as overseas.

The country's most expensive aircraft acquisition since the 1960s, the choppers were the latest variant and different from their Australian counterparts, he said.

"There's nothing at the moment that gives us cause for concern ... if there was, we wouldn't be flying them today."

A spokesman for Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman said the minister was aware of the overseas problems and had received advice that all related matters were under control.

 

[A4K]

Welcome to the forum mate, from a VERY close neighbour - I was born up the road at Paraparaumu, and lived at Raumati beach a couple of times!
(Bloody small world if we know each other! )

Re the NH 90s, hope they turn out to be okay...the Iroquois they're replacing served us well for 45 years!

Evan

 

[raumatibeach]

Small world all right ,I live in pram now though.We probably have a few aquaintances in common mate.

Getting back to the Iroquois I'm surpised that given the NZ's militarys habit of wringing every bit of life out of everything they own upgrading to Venom specs wasn't considered.

Cheers Andrew

 

[A4K]

We won't know what was considered and what wasn't, most of these decisions are made over business dinners and by the Politicians.

So you're in P'ram...no doubt we have atleast a few mates in common! Been a long time since I was there last (1996), from what I hear it's changed completely.

 

[raumatibeach]

Lots more apartments , still really crappy roads on the plus side an award winning brewery has just moved here .
Home » Tuatara Breweries

You're right , someone got a free trip round europe visitng the factories etc .Shame to lose the hueys though, two years ago one of them slammed into Paekakariki hill on the way to the ANZAC parade in Wellington .From memory three died and one managed to survive.

 

[A4K]

Yep, I did read about that crash on the net, very sad.

Re P'ram, does the airport still exist atleast? they were trying to turn it into development land when I was there last.
(And as an aside, is there much work in the area? May be moving back to NZ later this year/ early next year. Not sure where to move to though)

 

[raumatibeach]

The airport got a second wind, direct flights to Auckland now and sizable planes using it.About three years ago one of the Helipro choppers and a small plane collided and the plane ended up in front of the house behind me.There's actually been quite a few crashes here over the years for a small town.

Jobs?Unemployments running at about 6%, but if you really looked I'm sure you'd get something. If you're in IT you'll be sweet.

 

[A4K]

Cheers mate, will have a squiz on the net (I'm a professional electronics solderer by trade, but have done all sorts of different work.)
unemployment here (hungary) is around 12% and continually worsening. Got laid off myself in jan due to 'cost saving'...

Great news on the airport btw, but sorry to hear of the accidents - as for the wreckage landing in the neighbours back yard!!!

 

[nuuumannn]

Howdy fellow Kiwis! Welcome Raumati Beach!

P'ram is now being serviced by Air Nelson Dash 8s and Eagle B1900s, so should be good for the local economy.

Got laid off myself in jan due to 'cost saving'...

Sad to hear that Evan, I guess you now have more time to build models and post on the forum! There's plenty of work Nelson way; always is, although house prices, rent and buy is real high, among the highest in the South Island. Plenty of work in Chch if you want a bit of infrastructure development. I have to ask, how did you end up in Hungary?

Raumati, you going to the Ohakea Airshow?

 

[A4K]

Cheers for that info mate, and thanks for the regards re the work situ. Yep, much more 'free time', but need a job soon or I'll be in the shite for rent and bills.

Do love the South - lived in Blenheim (Woodbourne), Christchurch (3 times, incl. Wigram) and Queenstown. Thought of heading to Christchurch again, but the fiancée is freaked out by the earthquakes, so we'll see...

My arrival in Hungary is the latest leg of my travels, been here 10 years. Continuously moved in NZ (3 houses by the time I was one), then kicked off the OE in 1995 by going to Oz in search of steady work and proper wages.
16 years later, I've now lived in Oz (twice), Sweden, Scotland, Austria and Hungary. Different reasons for the moves, Hungary was for a girl I met in Austria - bad choice... Finished with her, but loved the town I was in (Pecs) so much I stayed. Currently in Budapest for work, see how it goes...

 

[raumatibeach]

Raumati, you going to the Ohakea Airshow?

day mate, wasn't planning on it.When is it? My son would be keen as after being on the navy boats in Wellington during the RWC.

Evan sorry to hear about your job, another option might be on the oil rigs in Taranaki?Awesome place to live and heaps of stuff to do there.

 

[A4K]

Something to think about, thanks mate!

 

[raumatibeach]

Nuuumannn did you get to Ohakea today?Awesome, awesome day out , F/A18s stole the show and the NH90s managed to stay in one peice.Few chuckles in our crew when the aussie pilot was giving his speil about the aussie jets as he sounded like the vocal twin of a couple of the characters on Angry boys,

 

[A4K]

Of course the F-18s stole the show mate - no other fighters to compete anymore..!

Glad it was such a great day!

 

[nuuumannn]

Hey Raumatibeach, sadly no - working away until the early hours this morning Looking at nice piccies of the show though. A couple of my work mates went, so I'm awaiting their return. Looks like the Company sent one of its new busses to the show wearing its new all black frock. Post some photos if you can.

Evan, sounds like you got about a bit. Women have been leading men to exotic and strange destinations for years. Happened to me too! I'm living in New Zealand! Lived in Edinburgh and surrounds for nine years. What line of work are you in?

 

[raumatibeach]

Yeah we walked through the black bus last weekend at Wellington, a mate took a much better camera and he's copying the pics for me at the moment. Nice displays from the Iroquois too as well as the C5.

 

[raumatibeach]

Of course the F-18s stole the show mate - no other fighters to compete anymore..!

Glad it was such a great day!

Hunter Hawk is very pretty in the flesh, glad we left really early thoug apparently heaps of people are getting refunds as they were stuck in traffic so long they gave up.

 

[A4K]

Hunter Hawk is very pretty in the flesh, glad we left really early thoug apparently heaps of people are getting refunds as they were stuck in traffic so long they gave up.

Wow!

Yeah, Nuuumann...the things a man will do for a bit of skirt eh?!
Shame I never made it to Edinburgh, supposed to be nice. Stayed a few months in Fort William and Oban though, walked there from Glasgow over the West highland way.
Been a professional solderer the last 9 years btw, done all sorts of other work though too (I'm 'multifunctional' )

Evan

 

[nuuumannn]

(I'm 'multifunctional'

Evan, you mean you can multitask? Man, the women must be throwing themselves at you!

Raumatibeach, Got to look at some of a mate's images from the show, looked good, but the traffic sounds like a nightmare. I heard the civvie traffic control people turned up to work late, so the whole thing was a mess by the time they got there. Dunno how much truth there is in that though. Did you get stuck?

That Hunter is kinda cool; I think it was a C-17 rather than a C-5, but same country though. I liked the green 77 Squadron anniversary markings on the static F-18; very cool jet.

 

[raumatibeach]

Nuuumannn it was slow getting up there and out afterwards but not too bad for us.
Yeah it was a C17, bit of a schoolboy error there.The american guy doing his bit over the loadspeaker talking about the C17 was the best of the day , I guess they must give them media training because he was very good at his job.I think he said it was one of the first aid planes into Japan after the tsunami .
Apparently there's a kiwi flying in F-18s in aussie now, would have been great to have had him there.They had an american pilot on loan to the aussies there too.