Originally Posted by
unmanned_droid
Easier than designing a stealth/low observable utility helicopter from scratch, or massively modifying a UH-60 to represent some of the artist illustrations in this thread.
OK.
Being a design engineer, my assumption is that the process would be along the lines of cost/benefit analysis of varying degrees of modification.
In particular for the tail rotor changes, as one starts adding weight way back there at the end of the tail the W&B and Vibe issues that crop up can be a bugger. Though likely achievable.
.
.. treating the rotor heads to some radar absorbent hats, and maybe putting radar absorbent mats over the cabin windows on the other hand seems an easy win.
Design and rapid prototype/manufacture of a tailboom specifically with low observability in mind sits somewhere between the two
I am thinking that
the whole tail boom would a be bit more than needed, given your point on the rest of the airframe.
Maybe only the last bit, aft of the intermediate gear box (significant changes in shape and reflective geometry back there already) but the point I refer to above in re the W&B and vibes would take some sorting out. (Though achievable if one has the budget).