I believe that fly by wire is primarily being installed to off-set the weight being added by installing the main and tail rotor fold mechanisms and other sundry items?
So let’s review; forty-eight months from contract award to develop, test, certify and put into production a complete new and untested control system, haul down and deck securing system, foldable tail and main rotor, weapon carrying capability plus all of that electronic gadgetry in the back. (And still try to convince yourself that it is still a COTS aircraft).
I believe that Sikorsky builds the best maritime helicopters in the World and if anyone could have pulled this off it would have been them, however I suppose that the impossible takes a little longer.
All of this kinds of begs the question of why did AW quietly drop their law suite against the Canadian Government recently? The law suite was based on the opinion that Sikorsky would not be able to meet the contract, specifically the 48 month time line and therefore should have been eliminated from the bidding. Apparently they were right.
