[Editor’s note: Just a quick note folks…I’ll be attending the Republican Convention this week and will be posting entries on Military.com’s Election Center blog. Ward, John, Kevin and the rest of the gang will be backing me up here while I’m wading through all the politics and hot air in Minniapolis-St. Paul.]
Sikorsky has begun flight testing the UH-60M Upgrade, the latest version of the Black Hawk and the first fly-by-wire helicopter for the U.S. Army.
The first flight at the companys West Palm Beach, Fla, test center lasted around 60 minutes and included hover, forward flight and a hover turn, Sikorsky says.
The M Upgrade introduces a digital fly-by-wire (FBW) system with triple-redundant Hamilton Sundstrand dual-channel flight control computers and actuators, and BAE Systems active control sticks.
Sikorsky says FBW, coupled with Rockwell Collins Common Aviation Architecture System (CAAS) glass cockpit, reduces pilot workload, improves aircraft handling qualities and increases pilot situational awareness.
Eliminating mechanical control linkages also saves weight and reduces maintenance, the company says. At the same time, the engines are upgraded to General Electric T700-701Es with fully authority digital engine control.
Read the rest of this story and others from our Aviation Week friends at Military.com.
– Christian
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
McCain/Palin ’08!
Wasn’t the RAH-66 Comanche supposed to have been FBW?
Mystick,
Yep, the RAH-66 was supposed to have been FBW, “A triple-redundant fly-by-wire system can automatically hold the helicopter in hover or in almost any other maneuver, reducing workload, allowing the pilot to concentrate on navigation and threat avoidance.”
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/rah-66.htm
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“UK troops in huge turbine mission”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7593901.stm
“U.S. Navy Inspectors Pan 2nd LPD-17 Ship”
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3700662&c=FEA&s=CVS
“U.K. Prepares New Armored-Vehicle Strategy”
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3701430&c=EUR&s=TOP
“US army has laser guns in its sights”
http://technology.newscientist.com/article/mg19926715.400-us-army-has-laser-guns-in-its-sights.html
“Coalition in Afghanistan Completes Investigation Into Aug. 22 Engagement”
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50999
News been slow the last week or so?
Sorry, I made it sound like the UH-60L has half the payload of the V-22 at 10,000′. Actually, its the exact opposite with the UH-60L helicopter having a payload of 5603 lbs vs the V-22′s 2776 lbs.
The UH-60L is also burning just 930 lbs/hr compared to the V-22s 2630 lbs/hr at their respective cruise speeds/altitudes. Even considering the longer flight time of the helicopter, it would mean more fuel that must be transported into Afghanistan across Pakistan if we used more V-22s instead of UH-60s. The UH-60M also has over 100 more shaft horsepower per engine and blades that produce 500 lbs more lift versus the current UH-60L…and nearly 380 more shp per engine and 2,000 lbs more payload than plenty of UH-60A it will replace. The composite tailboom and fly-by-wire systems also increase effective payload at the same maximum gross weight.
The UH-60M is truly an outstanding aircraft. Too bad the Marine Corps never saw interest in the UH-60 series helicopters; they are clearly a better choice than the MV-22 Osprey. The Marine Corps had been obsessive-compulsive driven to adopt the MV-22 since it was first conceived over 20 years ago. Regardless of the MV-22s claimed abilities and performance advantages, it is far more maintenance and operating-cost intensive than the UH-60 series. The Marine Corps should consider adding the UH-60M to its aerial fleet.
Oh oh!Someone is sweeping their signals here and
deleted the ones that you stole,because you don’t
speak the actual topic!Third person parallel programming…The same as magic…
Those Hawks fly way better than Hueys for sure…
1/184th AALST CO A….