S-97 First Flight Rushed?
A week article today reported S-97 program manager statement that flight testing is being halted again for another 9 to 12 weeks. Reason is to wait for more hours to be accumulated on the gearbox test stand units.
It appears first flight of the S-97 followed the course of the majority of new aircraft programs. Get it in the air as quickly as possible to meet a executives milestone, just so he or she will get their bonus. Does not matter if very little real data is aquired or if the flight test schedule is actually delayed by a flight only for the press. Not picking on Sikorsky, especially not the people busting their ass getting it done. Just stating that the S-97 followed the old aerospace adage I was told 35 years ago; "First flight only has to be high enough to pass a piece of paper under the wheels". Then you push the aircraft back in the hangar and finis the job.