Originally Posted by
SplineDrive
Let's be honest here... if a tilt rotor had won a down select for LHX, it in all likelihood would have been late, overweight, too expensive, and ultimately canceled as well. The Boeing-Sikorsky team had struggles of their own making, but they would have had the same Army customer that continually shifted requirements and the same design/manufacturing technology of the era.
In retrospect, LHX was a good program to lose, lol.
The original requirements for LHX required among other things higher speed, more agility at those higher speeds as well as very good acceleration and greater endurance. The requirements for max weight and required engine power were broader, and there was no requirement for a high degree of "stealth". It appeared that a Tilt-Rotor would ahve a better chance of meeting them , since they well within thee technology's envelope. That's why Bell indicated it would bid a Tilt-Rotor, and while at that point they hadn't committed, it was likely that Boeing might bid one as well. Suddenly, seemingly without warning. Army changed the requirements. The speed and endurance requirements were reduced to that achievable by a conventional helo and it was stated that credit wouldn't be given for performance above that. The maximum weight and engine power allowed were lowered to a point where it would be virtually impossible to build a practical Tilt-Rotor. Given that such a vehicle would be more expensive and with no credit for exceeding specs, it was clear the Army was now saying, "Read my lips: Hel-i-cop-ter". Thus Tilt-Rotor for LHX went away. Ironically, as the program unfolded the power and weight limits for Comanche were relaxed to the point that a Tilt-Rotor probably would have been feasible.
As to whether a Tilt-Rotor would have been late, overweight and too expensive, we'll never know. The V-22 experience was unique. It's kind of hard to stay on schedule and cost when one Administration cancels a program and another one revives it but underfunds EMD and adjusts the program so that the big procurement money won't be required until it is out of office. It's worthy of note that none of the problems have been related to Tilt-Rotor technology itself.
Now as far as avionics and systems go, I suspect there might have been similar problems as to those experienced by the RAH-66, but that's an independent issue.