Crab,
I wish we did
... enjoy the same patronage as BAE Systems
(edited)
Jackonicko,
I think the argument from myself and Requiem was with the statement
Trust me, it aint the 'radical difference' you think it might be. Think of a Mk8 with a monolithic tail boom and a pair old G-LYNX stabs chucked on it.
... which is just as dismissive of the list of changes in my earlier post. You'll see what I mean about the structures, etc., when the details become more widely published but it's visually quite distinct.
Crab/WG13,
With respect to cabin size, it seems that there is an assumption that this is supposed to be principally a volume trooplifter and not a flexible sensor and weapons platform with troop carrying capability (that extra mass isn't airframe). WG30 dropped off the list of things to do back in 1986 and what you're talking about is AW149. With respect to handling, I'll wait and see what the flight trials show but WG13 laid out the basics, based on earlier variants.