Author Topic: 380 (Read 807 times)

Chairboy · « **Reply #15 on:** June 01, 2007, 02:35:49 PM »

Re: New presidential chopper

It's unfortunate that a US company was unable to (apparently) offer a better craft/deal. I'd like that money spent domestically as much as possible if it has to be spent at all.

john9001 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 01, 2007, 02:52:27 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Chairboy
Re: New presidential chopper

It's unfortunate that a US company was unable to (apparently) offer a better craft/deal. I'd like that money spent domestically as much as possible if it has to be spent at all.

ah, the EH101 is built by Bell.

Chairboy · « **Reply #17 on:** June 01, 2007, 03:16:07 PM »

That's not... entirely accurate. The contract went to Augusta (Italy) with LockMart as the US figurehead.

john9001 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 01, 2007, 03:35:08 PM »

<
The US101 also will save $2 billion in research and development costs already paid - costs the American taxpayer otherwise would have to bear.

AgustaWestlandBell, prime sub-contractor to Lockheed Martin, is an American company based in Reston, Va. >>

from the web site.

Chairboy · « **Reply #19 on:** June 01, 2007, 04:03:46 PM »

My apologies, then, I was operating under the impression that this was an Italian endeavor with a US 'face'.

EDIT: Well, I'm still a bit confused:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agusta

Agusta is an Italian company, and the articles I've found so far seem to suggest that LockMart's role is basically integration, but most of the money will still be Europe-bound.

Furball · « **Reply #20 on:** June 01, 2007, 04:50:03 PM »

The Helicopter is AgustaWestland EH101 Merlin... a UK/Italian company.

AgustaWestland: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AgustaWestland

It is being license built by Bell - only way to crack the American market

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AgustaWestland_EH101

Quote

In 2001 AgustaWestland signed a deal with Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter Textron to market the aircraft in the US under the designation US101. It competed for and won the VIP and "Marine One" Presidential transport roles currently carried out by H-3 Sea King or the smaller VH-60 White Hawk. In doing so, it beat the Super Hawk, Sikorsky's contending entry, and became the first non-Sikorsky helicopter to fulfill the Marine One role since 1957. The order is for 23 aircraft, to equip the Marine One squadron, HMX-1. The US101 will be built in the United States and fitted with largely American systems and equipment, General Electric turboshafts for example. These aircraft will be given the military designation VH-71A Kestrel

Furball · « **Reply #21 on:** June 01, 2007, 04:59:44 PM »

Haven't read the full article, but it looks like Smiths Aerospace are doing part of the cockpit on it too (A British company)... http://www.smiths-aerospace.com/News/Archive/2006/Smiths-Aer6/index.asp

Yeager · « **Reply #22 on:** June 01, 2007, 08:49:41 PM »

The day an American President travels around in a European made helicopter is the day I..............