L Zuckerman -
Astonishing claim that the Sikorsky offering is closer to the delivery configuration than the US101 offering.
From an outsider's point of view, it would appear that it takes much more to transform an S-92 into a VH-92 than an EH101 into a US101. From published reports:
1. VH-92 will have new and more powerful engines not to be certified until 2007
2. Presumably that also implies upgrade of rotor, transmission, structure, etc. to accommodate the 10% MGW increase.
3. The shape of the VH-92, with its aft cabin pregnancy, is quite a bit different from that of the certified S-92
4. S-92 has never had a self defense suite installed: the RAF Merlins flying around the US have
5. Fly by wire is being developed for S-92: this would be a first in civil certified helicopters. Sounds like a big change to me
6. All new suppliers: the prototypes have sections built in several continents (admittedly this just makes it a wash with US101)
By comparison, EH101 Merlin has the structural strength to land on and be strapped to little ships, so presumably will not need much strengthening for US101 (this is of course speculative .. they could need some upgrades due to weight growth too.)
I don't believe that any one inside the program will be telling the whole story any time soon, so the rest of us are just speculating in more or less informed ways.
It's interesting that people with links to Sikorsky are prominent in these threads, while the Lockheed/Agusta/Westland/Bell people are notably silent. Does that mean the latter believe the acquisition folk have given a higher technical score to the US101?
As others have said, both helos would likely do the job, so result is probably influenced by politics, in spite of Navy whistling in the wind about "This is a Navy acquisition decision."
We foreigners are looking on with interest. I personally always believed that if Sikorsky could meet the technical bar, the political optics would determine the decision. I don't believe that Bush cares a whit about the political debt he owes Tony Blair.
Waiting (but not with bated breath) ...
Last edited by plt_aeroeng; 19th Nov 2004 at 01:39.