Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: rpm on October 19, 2015, 12:41:00 AM
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Sikorsky, beating the sky into submission since 1939.
(http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Sikorsky-15-980x653.jpg)
(http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Sikorsky-14-980x653.jpg)
(http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Sikorsky-2-980x653.jpg)
Sikorsky gave a guided walk-around (http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/10/a-walk-around-sikorsky-raider-contender-for-worlds-fastest-military-copter/) of the S-97 Raider, a proof-of-concept helicopter developed without government funding that the company hopes will earn a role with the military as an armed scout helicopter. The Raider is different from just about everything in the helicopter world, using a pair of counter-rotating rigid rotors for lift and a tail-mounted propeller for additional thrust, allowing it to fly at speeds of up to 250 miles per hour (220 knots) and hover at extreme altitudes.
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:x
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Pretty cool, but is there really a place for a scout helicopter in today's drone-centric world? Isn't Sikorsky's R&D just a dinosaur?
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Pretty cool, but is there really a place for a scout helicopter in today's drone-centric world? Isn't Sikorsky's R&D just a dinosaur?
I would think it may have a CAS role
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Surely they could just give the job to the F-35?
:headscratch:
:bolt:
:banana:
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I would think it may have a CAS role
Isn't that a role better suited for a full fledged gunship?
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actually would probably be a good question for Ranger......
What you think Ranger?
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This is inevitably going to draw comparisons to the cancelled RAH66 Comanche. I thought the Comanche was a neat little bird, so much tech on board such a small helo. Very hard to hear, great radar/IR/Thermal low observable traits, good weapons loadout even when only using the stealthy bays (IIRC it could carry 6 Hellfire + cannon in low observe max mode, pretty impressive for something so small.)
Much of what I've read and been told about it being cancelled was due to budget as well as drone tech taking much of the recon, and even armed recon mission away.
The "Raider" is different in that it could help actually conduct "raids" by having a troop compartment, something the Comanche obviously didn't have.
Comparing it to the V22 Osprey - it's a bit slower, but not by a whole pile, carries fewer troops (6 vs whatever they can squish into a V22, probably double with full gear for a long patrol, and triple for lightly armed troops), but the V22 is very complex to maintain, is very, very large and hard to stow on the assault ships, and cost - they are claiming 15 million for the S97, which is a small fraction of what a V22 costs now.
Tough call, but I think the army would go with the S97 over a V22 variant any day, and I wouldn't blame them.
Small, low observable, very fast, easy to fly in all weather due to new tech avionics, very fast again (worth saying twice), and relatively cheap compared to other options. Plus it can be armed with some decent suppression firepower.
Interesting concept, I wouldn't mind seeing a version of something like this come along shortly, perhaps with more troop capacity, or more heavily armed. Sort of like the JSF concept, but not all screwed up - an attack/recon variant, a transport variant, and so on. My point is a pusher prop on whatever replaces the current observation Kiowas, Blackhawk variants, and so on. The recon/transport end of flying wing fliers.
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https://gide-sp.web.boeing.com/sites/ITPS/DIRT/EARMDB/Documents1/AGILE/Production%20Readiness%20Reviews/S-Roll-14.4%20EWDC/S-Roll%20EARMDB_14.4.0_Event_Plan.docx
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Anyone remember the Cheyenne?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csGWV541yjw
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Anyone remember the Cheyenne?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csGWV541yjw
Cool, thanks for sharing that. I've never heard of it. It's kinda pretty, in a warthog kind of way
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Funny you should say that because the USAF thought the Cheyenne encroached on their turf in the CAS role. In a compromise the Army canceled the Cheyenne and the USAF picked up the A-10.