Future Lynx/Wildcat all systems go at AW

[SuperDouper]

GKN Aerospace delivered the first complete, state-of-the-art, Future Lynx Airframe to AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, on schedule, yesterday. The Company has achieved challenging technological goals for this airframe including an 80% reduction in parts count when compared with the existing Super Lynx airframe.

AgustaWestland, as the design authority for Future Lynx, has worked in partnership with GKN Aerospace to implement an effective design-to-cost methodology which has driven the product design.

Marcus Bryson, Chief Executive of GKN Aerospace comments "Our goal has been to create a highly effective operational airframe with an extremely efficient design and a truly cost effective manufacturing cycle. We have achieved this through innovations across the manufacturing process and through a close working relationship between AgustaWestland and GKN Aerospace Yeovil and our UK-based supplier team."

GKN Aerospace has made extensive use of monolithic machined components, replacing a traditional fabricated detail structure, to realise the dramatic reduction in parts count. In addition, 3 dimensional digital modelling has ensured highly accurate part-to-part assembly, whilst state-of-the-art assembly tooling has been introduced which can rotate through 360 degrees and has vertical movement for ease of access. Assembly personnel then use a stand alone wireless IT workstation to apply digital assembly instructions developed by GKN Aerospace directly from CATIA. This has eliminated the need for hard copy drawings and will enable future configuration changes to be communicated instantly and efficiently to the required personnel.

Bryson continues: "Throughout the design phase and immediately following contract award by the UK MOD, in June 2006, we placed a dedicated team of engineers within the AgustaWestland design office. This allowed a fully integrated team to develop and this has been critical to our success, and to our meeting - and in a number of cases exceeding - some ambitious goals for the new airframe. Together, our teams have done a quite remarkable job."

GKN Aerospace is responsible for supplying the complete, assembled airframe for 70 Future Lynx helicopters for the Royal Navy and Army. The Company manages the supply chain and carries out airframe assembly, which takes place at its Yeovil facility. GKN Aerospace, Yeovil, has been supporting AgustaWestland through the supply of assemblies for the Lynx family, which now includes the complete assembled airframe, throughout the Lynx programme life. For the last 7 years GKN has supplied all Lynx airframes - including for a number of successful export programmes.

[ptflyer]

There is a picture of the airframe at

GKN delivers first Future Lynx airframe (http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/11/17/318878/gkn-delivers-first-future-lynx-airframe.htm)

[206Fan]

Very slick indeed!

[HEDP]

Nice navy style undercarriage that will be no use whatsoever in the land rolling landing and take-off environment; is there a different one for the Army?

[widgeon]

Is it a composite Tail Boom ? , my first job out of College was working on a Carbon fibre tail boom for the Wasp/ Scout at Yeovil . One thing I vividly remember was the destructive test with bits of black stuff flying all over the Hangar. What role will the Army version be for ?.

[Matari]

HEDP:

Nice navy style undercarriage that will be no use whatsoever in the land rolling landing and take-off environment; is there a different one for the Army?What is it about the tricycle gear that will preclude rolling landing and t/o?

[HEDP]

It seems to be more like a navy undercarriage that I believe is not optimised for running landing or take-off but for deck ground handling on first sight. I may be wrong and stand to be corrected however albeit with a 'slender' verticle oleo it would appear to be the case. A further increase in AUM with a less robust looking oleo! Maybe it's just a temporary rig to move the fuselage around!

I see it appears to retain the less than optimum nose oleo that again, on first look, seems to retain the fact that in an impact it will crumple into the front crew space therefore poor survivability.

[Shawn Coyle]

I'd ask a couple of other questions- does it finally include an integral particle separator for the Gem engines?
And something other than the terrible engine management system with the speed select lever / torque matching knob that truly prevent single pilot operations?

[Robbo Jock]

Can't help feeling it's a bloody stupid name for a project. What are they going to call it when it's in service? The Now Lynx? The Soon-To-Be-Past Lynx?

[leopold bloom]

Is it a composite Tail Boom ?
No
Nice navy style undercarriage
Those are only temporary wheels on the jig.

[helimarshaller]

Nice navy style undercarriage that will be no use whatsoever in the land rolling landing and take-off environment; is there a different one for the Army?

The undercarriage in the picture is used purely to move the fuselage from where it was built by GKN to the final assembly hall. The final undercarriage for both the Navy & Army versions will be similar to that shown in the artists inpression at the link ina previous post above.

What is it about the tricycle gear that will preclude rolling landing and t/o?

The tricycle undercarriage allows the aircraft to rotate on a central point when secured to the deck of a ship. The nose gear is castored and the main gear is offset to allow spot turns. Not much room of the back of a frigate for rolling T/o & Landings.
The main gear can be locked fore & aft for ground handling and shore based operations as required.

[jonwilly]

Shawn
Will the new aircraft not have the Honeywell/RR 1,300 HP ecu as fitted to the 'Super Lynx' ?
john

[heli1]

Robbo jock...According to Helicopter International ,who ran an article a couple of issues ago the intent is that it will be called Wild Cat ...if it enters service.The MoD is still strugglling with budgets and nothing is sure .

[Robbo Jock]

Thanks heli1.

[[email protected]]

Westlands have been making aircraft that vibrate, crack and leak for so many years - why should this one be any different? The trouble is how to repair it when it does crack - if it is all composites you can't just rivet another aluminium plate on it to beef it up which is what they did to the last Lynx and the Sea King.

Other than ship-borne operations, the Lynx has no role - it's not big enough for a battlefield helicopter and the British Army have known that for years; it won't compete with the Apache as an attack helo and the cabin is too small for SAR. So more millions of taxpayers money get spent propping up AW when what we really need is medium and heavy lift helos.

[nimby]

You may recall that the last version of the Army Lynx (Mk 9) introduced wheeled undercarriage (replacing the skids) at FLC request

(a) it makes manouvring the aircraft easy
(b) it imparts more controlled attenuation (esp in crash case)

The Mk9 wheeled u/c is a bit of a compromise (you lose some stroke compared to Mk3/8 to avoid losing centre console space).

[diginagain]

At least the Mk9 provided an opportunity to unload some Whirlwind oleos.......:}

[SuperDouper]

The Mk120 based in Oman have no issues with run on landings etc in the desert apart from the odd tyre change now and again. BTW they do not toe the main wheels out.

I believe the Army version will have chunkier wheels

[[email protected]]

Nimby - I hope AW do a lot better than the Mk9 Lynx undercarriage - you can't land vertically in it because the radius arm design tries to rip the tyres off the rims as you lower the lever!! Rolling landings only to allow the tyres to scrub sideways as the weight pushes the U/c arms out. Genius:ugh:

[Savoia]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4st7-zEjXno/ToGgqiF_ruI/AAAAAAAAFEs/0l69KqFDVa0/s720/UK%252520Army%252520AW159%252520ZZ399%252520Wildcat%252520at %252520Yeovil%252520on%2525202nd%252520September%2525202011% 252520%252528Rich%252520Pittman%252529.jpg
British Army AW159 ZZ399 Lynx Wildcat at Yeovil on 2nd September 2011 (Photo: Rich Pittman)

The Wildcat programme was developed from the Future Lynx project which originated in two 2002 when studies were made to determine the suitability of a derivative of the Super Lynx 300 to replace the existing Lynx helicopters of the Royal Navy and British Army. These requirements were known as the Surface Combatant Maritime Rotorcraft (SCMR) and Battlefield Light Utility Helicopter (BLUH) programmes, respectively. The utility transport aspect of the BLUH requirement was subsequently de-emphasised and the programme renamed Battlefield Reconnaissance Helicopter (BRH).

Both Army and Navy variants are based on a common marinised airframe with a wheeled undercarriage. The Wildcat is powered by two 1362 shp LHTEC CTS800-4N turboshaft engines, and features a new composite tailboom, tailplane, tail rotor, nose structure and avionics suite. The naval version is also equipped with a SELEX Galileo Seaspray 7000E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

On 24 April 2009 it was announced that the Future Lynx had been renamed AW159 by AgustaWestland and would be known in British military service as the Lynx Wildcat. The first Lynx Wildcat took the type's maiden flight from Yeovil on 12 November 2009 with initial deliveries of the type expected in 2011. The second AW159 first flew on 14 October 2010 and a third helicopter joined the flight testing programme on 19 November 2010.

The UK is to initially receive 34 AW159s for the British Army and 28 for the Royal Navy. The Army variant is to enter operational service in 2014 with the RN variant following in 2015.

The Royal Navy has commissioned its first Lynx Wildcat Fielding Squadron to be known as the 700W Naval Air Squadron (700W NAS). The Army Air Corps has formed the Wildcat Fielding Team. Both units located at RNAS Yeovilton.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-F9JyCkcEP9k/ToGhHBko18I/AAAAAAAAFEw/r1IPIMfwHU4/aw159-10_lynx_wildcat.jpg

Wildcat features:

Cruise: 155kts
Range: 420nm
Crew: 2
Passengers: 7

Armaments:

- Forward firing CRV7 rockets and machine guns
- Pintle mounted machine gun, e.g. FN MAG (Army) or Browning M2 (Navy)
- Air-to-Surface Missile system: Thales Lightweight Multi-Role Missile (LMM)
- Torpedoes and depth charges

[Savoia]

Royal Navy's Next Generation Lynx performs Trials on HMS Iron Duke

http://www.defpro.com/data/gfx/news/519315eb38940dd4d09ea4fb60968c9aabe01832_big.jpg
A Wildcat helicopter undergoing trials from HMS Iron Duke


The Royal Navy's next generation helicopter, Wildcat, has completed 20 days of demanding trials aboard HMS Iron Duke, laying the groundwork for future operations.

Wildcat landed nearly 400 times on the frigate's flight deck by day and night in various weather conditions as the ship sailed off the coasts of southern England and northern Scotland.

The Portsmouth-based frigate sought the most challenging weather conditions around the UK as she took the Wildcat - successor to the long-serving Lynx - to sea to help write the rulebook for the new helicopter.

From 2015, Wildcat will be the principal helicopter used by Royal Navy frigates, including Iron Duke and her Type 23 sisters, and destroyers on operations around the globe.

Although Wildcat looks like the final variant of the Lynx Mk8, currently in service with the Fleet Air Arm, it is classed as a new aircraft - it handles differently for a start, not least thanks to new engines and the distinctive tail boom which marks Wildcat out from its forebears.

As a result, a new rulebook has to be written to define what are known as 'ship-helicopter operating limits' - the guidelines for safe Wildcat operations by day and night in various weather conditions and with different payloads.

For that, Wildcat needed to go to sea. It enjoyed two ten-day periods of trials aboard Iron Duke, one in mid-January, the second at the beginning of this month, ranging from the waters off the South Coast to the Western Approaches, Irish Sea and northern shores of Scotland as the frigate searched for suitable weather conditions to lay down the limits for safe Wildcat operations.

In all, Wildcat touched down on Iron Duke's flight deck 390 times, including 148 night landings - 76 of them using night-vision goggles.

From Iron Duke's viewpoint, the new helicopter certainly impressed. Commander Nick Cooke-Priest, the frigate's Commanding Officer, said: "Wildcat is a very capable aircraft, a completely valued successor to the Lynx, and once fully mature will provide significantly enhanced capability to the maritime domain."

Prototype ZZ402 paid a brief visit to Iron Duke just before Christmas, when pilots and technicians tested some of the basics such as whether the flight deck recovery system could pull Wildcat into the hangar, did Wildcat fit in the hangar, can it be easily refuelled and rearmed and 'talk' to the frigate's command systems, all of which were in the affirmative.

The prototype's two Fleet Air Arm test pilots assessed and scored the difficulty and workload required for each landing in each different weather condition or sea state, while a myriad of sensors recorded more than 4,000 different items of data from the helicopter's engines, rotor and transmission.

These included video feeds from all the crew positions, stresses and strains from all over the airframe and rotor blades, engine and gearbox parameters and undercarriage loadings.

The crew scores and reams of data are now being analysed by experts (it'll take them until towards the end of the year) to set the limits for day and night operations by Wildcat at sea in various conditions and with various payloads.

In addition to the test pilots, two flight test engineers, aircraft and stress engineers, instrumentation experts and ship's flight personnel (to carry out maintenance on the prototype and move it in and out of the frigate's hangar) - a good 30 extra souls in all - squeezed aboard the Type 23, which was fitted with accurate ship motion and wind sensors for the tests.

The trials team used the opportunity of operating Wildcat at sea for the first time to test its mission systems, night-vision cockpit and navigation systems, paving the way for the helicopter's front line duties in three years' time.

Commander Cooke-Priest said that the helicopter is 'ideally suited to the nature and breadth of naval operations', and added that: "Commanders should be very excited by Wildcat's potential."

While Wildcats work their way along the production line at AgustaWestland's Yeovil factory, ZZ402 will continue her trials, including tests of radar, electro-optics and navigational kit, and conducting missile firings.

The first of 28 naval variants of Wildcat is due to be delivered to its future home of Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton ten days before Christmas for trials with 700W Naval Air Squadron.

defence.professionals | defpro.com (http://www.defpro.com/news/details/32554/?SID=4175be8b49e968b9061b6da708497f00)

[Peter-RB]

Now that will have an Ugly call sign!!

[206Fan]

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee181/Davy_032/Lynx_Wildcat9.jpg (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/Davy_032/media/Lynx_Wildcat9.jpg.html)

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee181/Davy_032/Lynx_Wildcat8.jpg (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/Davy_032/media/Lynx_Wildcat8.jpg.html)

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee181/Davy_032/Lynx_Wildcat3.jpg (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/Davy_032/media/Lynx_Wildcat3.jpg.html)

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee181/Davy_032/Lynx_Wildcat2.jpg (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/Davy_032/media/Lynx_Wildcat2.jpg.html)

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee181/Davy_032/Lynx_Wildcat5.jpg (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/Davy_032/media/Lynx_Wildcat5.jpg.html)

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee181/Davy_032/Lynx_Wildcat4.jpg (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/Davy_032/media/Lynx_Wildcat4.jpg.html)

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee181/Davy_032/Lynx_Wildcat6.jpg (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/Davy_032/media/Lynx_Wildcat6.jpg.html)

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee181/Davy_032/Lynx_Wildcat11.jpg (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/Davy_032/media/Lynx_Wildcat11.jpg.html)

[nomorehelosforme]

I was there many years ago as a sea cadet on a week long range firing course, was there for 24 hours and the Falklands got invaded and the base went on red alert and we were all send home, did get to fire a SMG and a SLR before we went so not all bad!

[206Fan]

Cheers, I took them on my iPhone 4S. The Canon is out of operation at the minute. My friend shot the rest of the airshow with his Canon. Will post some of his pictures when he gets through them all eventually. Great day at Yeovilton. The helicopter displays where fantastic!

[nomorehelosforme]

We love iPhones they take great pictures!

[dmanton300]

Whats it like in respect of weight & Power? Heard early mutters.
W06

Well it's no AH.9A to be sure, but it's better than any of the remaining Gem cabs. Been talking with someone who has multiple thousands of hours on Lynx (AH.7/9/9A) and is now on Wildcat. Generally a fan, with reservations. Seems a case of "it'll be fab once it's sorted", but then aren't they all?!?:ok:

[diginagain]

Seems a case of "it'll be fab once it's sorted", They told us that when the AH1 came out.

[MOSTAFA]

Seconded then it started to kill people.

[Ian Corrigible]

"it'll be fab once it's sorted"
Let's hope so: the steam-gauge Lynx fleet is already being re-roled as soda cans...

http://i.imgur.com/nre25cG.jpg (http://aviationweek.com/blog/lynxes-lynxes-and-more-lynxes)

http://i.imgur.com/2Banh4T.jpg (http://aviationweek.com/blog/lynxes-lynxes-and-more-lynxes)

I/C

[switch_on_lofty]

Spot the missing parts above, coming soon to a Wildcat near you!

[nomorehelosforme]

That does look like a breakers yard! Hopefully one made good for a museum or displays!

[dmanton300]

Spot the missing parts above, coming soon to a Wildcat near you!

Recycling, it's all the rage. Worked great with the Nimrod, I see no issue. . .

[diginagain]

Well, they won't find any rust anywhere.

[MightyGem]

XZ 608. Have to check my logbooks, but pretty sure it's in there somewhere.