Testing complete on H-1 choppers.Bell Helicopter Bell Helicopter Textron is an American helicopter and tiltrotor manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A division of Textron, Bell manufactures military helicopter and tiltrotor products in the United States (primarily in and around Fort Worth as well as in Amarillo, has completed developmental testing on the H-1 Upgrades Program, a move that clears the way for both operational evaluation The test and analysis of a specific end item or system, insofar as practicable under Service operating conditions, in order to determine if quantity production is warranted considering: a. the increase in military effectiveness to be gained; and b. and a third low-rate initial production run to begin. Two of the programme's five developmental test aircraft were recently transferred to the operational test squadron A squadron is a small unit or formation of cavalry, aircraft (including balloons), or warships. Army and Marines A cavalry squadron (horse or armoured) typically consists of three to five troops. and are being used to train the US Marines who will conduct the evaluations. The H-1 programme is geared to replacing ageing Marine Corps UH-1N and AH-1 W rotorcraft ro·tor·craft n. An aircraft, especially a helicopter, that is kept partially or completely airborne by airfoils rotating around a vertical axis. with upgraded--but 84% identical--UH-1Y and AH-1Z (shown) aircraft, the UH-1Ys will be complete new builds, rather than simply remanufactured UH-1N birds. Bell currently has 16 helicopters on two firm, fixed-price low-rate initial production contracts worth $ 185.6 million and $111.4 million respectively. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion