LHX Program

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My all time least favorite LHX was the Boeing initial design. A very new helicopter pilot attending the 1985 Army Aviation Association meeting in Fort Worth, TX looked at the display model and asked "Where is the canopy?" To which the elderly engineering fellow who had noticed the befuddled junior pilot responded "There isn't one." The gobsmacked pilot said, "Well, I won't fly that!" The elderly engineer smiled and responded, "No, but your children will."
An insightful elder engineer.
 
I have always wondered what of this plastic mini-S-76 might have become had there been vision beyond a test article. It did serve its purpose and helped validate non-metalic structures that would be used in RAH-66.
 
yasotay said:
I have always wondered what of this plastic mini-S-76 might have become had there been vision beyond a test article. It did serve its purpose and helped validate non-metalic structures that would be used in RAH-66.
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I mean, we did eventually see it, in the S97 Raider.

But civilian side IMO composite airframes have issues. They're a lot harder to repair. Military cares less, they just note that the damage needed to total out an airframe is X and plan to buy new ones, as the military is self insured. Civilian side has to deal with their insurance costs, and insurance on those easily-totalled airframes is super expensive. (See also any car with an aluminum frame or composite tub.)
 
yasotay said:
I have always wondered what of this plastic mini-S-76 might have become had there been vision beyond a test article. It did serve its purpose and helped validate non-metalic structures that would be used in RAH-66.
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It validated some metallic structures too! The canopy was coated with a metallic film. For.... reasons.
 
From JAWA 1984-1985
 

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Always enjoyed the idea of the "Viperesque" LHX. Then I spent to much time around aerospace engineers (party poopers the lot of them), and looked at the cool helicopter and thought "Where does the fuel go? weapons, sensors, ,landing gear?
 
hesham said:
The page.
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Fenestron and a V-tail. Interesting.

I still wish the LHX-Utility had been developed. Closest we could claim would be the T625 Gobkey (on the computer, don't have umlauts), or maybe the Super Lynx or Wildcat.

I know I would have used the H-1 concept for the LHX-Utility: it would use the entire Commanche tail boom, engines, transmission, and rotors; but with a whole new forward fuselage. If I can, the Utility bird would also use the same landing gear as well.
 
Scott Kenny said:
Fenestron and a V-tail. Interesting.

I still wish the LHX-Utility had been developed. Closest we could claim would be the T625 Gobkey (on the computer, don't have umlauts), or maybe the Super Lynx or Wildcat.

I know I would have used the H-1 concept for the LHX-Utility: it would use the entire Commanche tail boom, engines, transmission, and rotors; but with a whole new forward fuselage. If I can, the Utility bird would also use the same landing gear as well.
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I believe that was the original intent; to have as much commonality as possible. Then the U.S. Army Aviation did what it does best. Take fork, insert in electric socket.
 
yasotay said:
I believe that was the original intent; to have as much commonality as possible. Then the U.S. Army Aviation did what it does best. Take fork, insert in electric socket.
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Not gonna lie, I'm still waiting for Army Aviation to cancel production of MV-75, too. Or for the USAF to say it violates Key West et al as soon as the Army puts guns on it, and the AV-75 is getting cockblocked by the F-35.

That said, I guess I have a question about what a utility version of the LHX was supposed to do in terms of Army CONOPS. Comanche was replacing OH-58s. SOAR was likely keeping their MH-6s, might take Comanches as replacements for DAPs. But the "flying jeep" role got grabbed by H60s a long time ago. So what exactly was the Utility LHX going to do? Replace the H-6s?

Edit: major rewrite of the whole post
 
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If memory serves it was supposed to replace some of the UH-1H in some units that did not need an air assault aircraft. That would have reduced the UH-60 buy and thus increase the cost of a UH-60. The U.S. Army decided to go with UH-60 alone.

Don't quote me on this without someone else confirming.
 

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