I'm starting to think the Wildcat gets a raw deal:
- Whenever there's a thread on AH/recce it always get compared disparagingly to an Apache.
- Whenever there's a thread on SH it gets compared disparagingly to a Blackhawk.
- Meanwhile crash robustness, agility and shipborne operations are all ignored.
So where would you place the Wildcat? What MoD/Land requirement did the procurement fulfil? Or has its role been written to suit its ability? It was originally called the BLUH (Battlefield Light Utility Helicopter). Not a lot of utility and it is not a Lynx replacement (most certainly not in role). The Lynx did have a reasonable amount of utility but Wildcat is most definitely pigeon-holed in to a specific role (unless you consider moving 4 blokes from A to A and a half good utility).
Battleworthyness would assist in preventing crashworthyness. Difficult to do with essentially a 40 year old design. Battleworthyness has to be designed from day one.
Agility - 6 tons of aircraft utilising legacy analogue AFCS, flying controls, hydraulics and a very high disk loading. A very heavy aircraft for its size compromising a key asset to a battlefield helicopter - Agility.
Shipborne operations. VERY limited endurance (with no growth potential for larger internal tanks and if the MoD decides to pay for external tanks, it will compromise any ability to carry weapon stores), all the things that made Lynx a good bet as a compact naval platform for small ships is now (or will be) an irrelevance with Type 45s and Type 23s. No folding tail. No certainty for a future weapons programme.
It's a swiss army knife of an aircraft, yes in a particular role there are probably better options, but there are few other individual aircraft that can fill as many different roles on the same flight
As for Swiss army knife? I'd suggest Wildcat is akin to one of those pipe cleaning knifes your granddad used to have.....And if you wish to fill as many different roles in one flight, best make it a short flight!
A short term 'cheap option' that will cost us dearly in the near future. Virtually no potential for growth.
As to the original question. Sensor on top of the nose as opposed to underneath? Wildcat has it there cos thats what is best for a naval platform but in certain circumstances, compromised for a non naval platform. To be honest, lets not get totally tied up with Ops from the past 10 years where we've had the luxury to sit at altitude carrying out ISTAR in helicopters. Helicopters are best employed in the low level environment so a sensor under the nose is even more pointless when sat in an obs position at 10'. I'm quite glad we didn't push too hard to get the Wildcat AH1s MX10 changed. Where it currently sits, its only slightly lower than where the old TOW sight was mounted. It would have cost us a fortune to change it and we've already seen that making changes post contract has meant basic capability has been costed out.
If you want to stick a camera up at a few thousand feet in a theatre where you cant guarantee the level of SA threat, best stick a UAS up.