Mil Std 1290 Vs V-22
The Blackhawk and the Apache were both designed in the 1970s to meet Mil Std 1290. This was a very aggressive approach to ballistic and crash worthiness. Attributes included in Mil Std 1290 were: 32 fps crash attenuating landing gear, 42 fps crash attenuating airframe structure, fuel cells drop tested from 65 ft and a ballistic tolerant main airframe structure for up to 23 mm weapons. This capability was provided for at a significant weight penalty. The Blackhawk was procured to replace the 14 passenger UH-1H. The UH-1H’s empty weight was approx. 6000 lbs. while a similar 14 passenger Blackhawk has an empty weight of 11,500 lbs. Most of the weight difference was due to meeting Mil Std 1290. If you fast forward to the V-22 and Bell’s UH-1Y, both aircraft received wavers from Mil Std 1290 citing an inability to meet mission requirements at the higher weights required to meet spec. I do not believe that any aircraft subsequent to the Blackhawk and Apache have had to meet the requirements of Mil Std 1290. I am sure that the V-22 is a relatively robust machine but it cannot be compared to the Blackhawk or Apache for survivability.