New Army Chopper Overheats

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Sun-Sentinel/Associated Press

New Army Chopper Overheats
By AARON C. DAVIS | Associated Press Writer
6:28 PM EST, November 9, 2007

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Army is spending $2.6 billion on hundreds of European-designed helicopters for homeland security and disaster relief that turn out to have a crucial flaw: They aren't safe to fly on hot days, according to an internal report obtained by The Associated Press.

While the Army scrambles to fix the problem -- adding millions to the taxpayer cost -- at least one high-ranking lawmaker is calling for the whole deal to be scrapped.

During flight tests in Southern California in mild, 80-degree weather, cockpit temperatures in the UH-72A Lakota soared above 104, the point at which the Army says the communication, navigation and flight control systems can overheat and shut down.

No cockpit equipment failed during the nearly 23 hours of testing, according to the Pentagon report, prepared in July. But the report concluded that the aircraft "is not effective for use in hot environments."


Read more: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/ats-ap_top12nov09,0,2568867.story

[kestrel91316]

1. Well, they can use the expensive new choppers during the winter,

and the rest of the time they can use....
well........
um..........
I KNOW!!! They can use KITES!!!! That's it! Kites!!!!

Oy.

[grilled onions]

2. Great Planning

Just what they can use in the Middle East---NOT! Are we feeling safer yet? :crazy:

[rucognizant]

9. Think they.......

have plans to invade Russia & Mongolia next., they can use them there!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. well hell, let's ignore global warming, too.

increased heat? forgetaboutit.

[balantz]

4. So they won't just be rounding us up

they'll be falling on us too?

[JBoy]

5. If they're not safe to fly, keep them on the ground

They could just keep them running on the ground, acting like big fans. That would keep everything around them cool, and solve that so-called "global warming" problem.

You see, that's what's known as a win-win.

[bbinacan]

6. That's what happens when

you go with the low bid.

[cliss]

7. I'm going to share a strange story which I read on

Counter Punch a few years ago. The article was about how US military equipment was getting worse and worse, in terms of quality and usefulness. It seems that the Pentagon was spending enormous amounts of money to procure things like tanks, jets, weapons, all kinds of stuff and it is inferior quality. In particular, the author mentioned helicopters are being substandard and in fact dangerous.

Why? The author contends that the CONTRACTS being issued are NOT based on competition, or the best company, or even the best product. The contracts are based on CRONIES, who just because they were good buddies with Donald Rumsfailed, they got the contract.

And haven't we seen that already in Iraq and other places? I've been following those stories for a while. Every time I read about a new helicopter crashing, I thought about that story.

:smoke: Death traps, that's what they are.

[juno jones]

8. And they probably had such a laugh when Carter's

rescue mission in Iran failed in, what, 79-80? (fouled up by copter malfunctions in a desert enviroment, although, I've suspected that Carter got abysmal intelligence from Bush's CIA). Perhaps karma is a bitch after all.

[MadMaddie]

10. Ahh....the Republican dream to outsource everything is

working out swell I tell you!!:sarcasm:

So which American made the big hidden bucks to get this contract to a European vendor?

[Spinzonner]

11. No problem

They'll just assign them to the newly forming Arctic Command

[WritersBlock]

12. Yep. Watch out, Canada! n/t

[jordi_fanclub]

13. Just in case you missed... it's Made-in-USA

The thing ISN'T outsourced. It's full manufactured in the USA! http://www.eurocopterusa.com/Company/CompanyHome.asp
-Texas facility is in Grand Prairie, a 52 acre facility centered in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Metroplex;
-newest facility is in Columbus, Mississippi, 85k sq-ft facility on 40 acres in the Golden Triangle region.

The helicopter’s prime contractor,and overall program management for the UH-145 system is being directed by EADS North America Defense, a business unit of the Arlington, Virginia-based EADS North America. UH-72A manufacturing, assembly and delivery is being performed in the U.S. (...) at its Columbus, Mississippi facility. http://www.uh-72a.com/pro_team/Industry-leaders.html

EDIT: 104ºF in test with an exterior temp of 80ºF AND without air-conditioning seems a GOOD test.
"Air conditioning is standard in commercial versions of the aircraft, which have not had overheating problems. But the military usually avoids air conditioning in military aircraft to reduce weight and increase performance." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UH-72_Lakota#Operational_history

[Stella_Artois]

14. Good post

The designers of this aircraft put in cooling systems for the electronics. The Army thought it knew better and took them out. Turns out the designers were right first time.

Fancy that.

[sarcasmo]

15. European designed, surprised it wasn't made in China.