VH-71 Kestrel

Infobox Aircraft
name= VH-71 "Kestrel"


caption= VH-71 undergoing testing near the Lockheed facility in Owego, NY
type= Executive transport helicopter
manufacturer= AgustaWestland Bell Helicopter (assembly)
designer=
first flight= July 3 2007
introduced= 2010 (planned)
retired=
status= Testing
primary user= United States Marine Corps
more users=
produced= 2010-2015 (planned)
number built= 28 (planned)
unit cost= $400 million (average procurement cost)
developed from = AgustaWestland AW101
variants with their own articles =

The VH-71 Kestrel, a variant of the AgustaWestland AW101 (formerly EH101), is being developed to replace the United States Marine Corps' Marine One Presidential transport fleet. It is being produced by the Lockheed Martin-led "US101 Team" of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego, AgustaWestland and Bell Helicopter.

Development

EH101

The EH101 was developed by EH Industries, a joint venture of the British Westland Aircraft and Italian Agusta companies. The aircraft first flew on October 9, 1987, and entered service with the Royal Navy in 2000.

US101

On 23 July 2002 Lockheed Martin and AgustaWestland signed a 10-year agreement to jointly market, produce and support a medium-lift helicopter, an EH101 derivative called US101, in the United States. [ [http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fec&ci=14358&rsbci=0&fti=112&ti=0&sc=400 "Lockheed Martin and AgustaWestland Announce Long-term Agreement for US101 Helicopter"] , Lockheed Martin Corp. July 23, 2002.] The companies envisaged marketing the aircraft in three roles; US Air Force combat search and rescue, US Coast Guard search and rescue, and US Marine Corps executive transport.

On May 15 2003 AgustaWestland signed an agreement with Bell Helicopter to undertake final assembly of the US101 in the United States. [ [http://www.teamus101.com/news3.cfm "AgustaWestland Selects Bell Helicopter as Airframe Manufacturer for US101 Production"] ] AgustaWestland will produce the main rotor blades and main fuselage sections at its Yeovil, UK facility. The company will produce other components, including the gearbox, at its Cascina Costa, Italy facility. This represents a work share of 36%. The remaining 64% work share is split between Lockheed Martin (31%) and Bell Helicopter (27%) and others (6%). ["US101 Blows Away Sikorsky in $6.1 Billion VXX Competition", Air Forces Monthly]

VXX competition

The U.S. Department of Defense issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on December 18, 2003 for the supply of 23 helicopters to replace the 11 VH-3Ds and 8 VH-60Ns of USMC HMX-1 squadron. This requirement was given the designation VXX (V being the prefix for VIP aircraft and XX representing the then unspecified numerical part of the designation).

Both AgustaWestland and Sikorsky responded to the RFP. Sikorsky proposed the VH-92, a variant of the H-92 Superhawk, in partnership with FlightSafety International, L-3 Communications, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell Collins, Vought Aircraft Industries, and GE-Aviation.

On January 28, 2005 the Department of Defense announced that it had selected the US101 for the VXX program. The US101 team was awarded a US$1.7 billion contract for the VXX system development and demonstration (SDD) phase. [ [http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20050128-2037.html "Lockheed Martin to Build New Presidential Helicopter"] U.S. Department of Defense January 28, 2005] The price of the "development" later rose by 40% to $2.4 billion. [ [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/05/22/213992/presidential-helicopter-costs-soar.html "Presidential helicopter costs soar"] , flightglobal.com May 22 2007.] The full cost of the project is estimated at $6.1 Bn, [ [http://www.tomorrowyesterday.com/2007/07/feature_creep_a.html TY: Feature creep and the new Marine One (VH-71)] ] although some analysts expect the cost to rise above $7Bn, making this the most expensive helicopter ever, with a unit cost of $270m. [ [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/vxx.htm VH-71 “Kestrel” / VXX Vertical Lift Aircraft] , globalsecurity.org] As of March 2008 the program cost totaled $11.2Bn, making each helicopter more expensive than the Boeing 747-based VC-25s that serve as Air Force One after adjustment for inflation. [http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=a1b67371-3b18-4f5d-999d-0719ddc97452 "Cost Soars For Marine One Copter Fleet"] The Washington Post, March 23, 2008.] [ [http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_channel.jsp?channel=defense&id=news/VH71031708.xml&headline=Executive%20Branch%20Strikes%20VH-71%20Deal "Executive Branch Strikes VH-71 Deal"] Aerospace Daily and Defense Report, March 17, 2008.]

Program problems and delays

In addition to rising costs, delays and engineering issues have plagued the VH-71's development. [ [http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/development-hurdles-ahead-for-future-presidential-helicopter/?no_cache=1 "Development hurdles ahead for future presidential helicopter"] , aionline.com] During the ongoing CSAR-X contract controversy (in which the EH101 is LMSI's offering), the Air Force source selection authority has, on several occasions, referred to Lockheed's VH-71 program as having "unsatisfactory performance". These concerns with the VH-71 have caused the Air Force to cast doubts on LMSI's ability to supply helicopters for a potential CSAR program award; in March 2007 the initial GAO report which upheld Sikorsky and Lockheed's contract award protests versus Boeing's HH-47 mentioned "that LMSI had received a little confidence rating for past performance due to unsatisfactory performance under its current contract for the VH-71 Presidential helicopter, which was evaluated as the most highly relevant to this procurement. According to the SSA, LMSI had "show [n under that contract] that it could not reliably meet important schedule requirements and had difficulty in systems engineering flow-downs to their subcontractors." [ [http://www.gao.gov/decisions/bidpro/2991454.htm "B-299145.4, Sikorsky Aircraft Company; Lockheed Martin Systems, March 29, 2007"] , GAO.] The contractor, in turn, pointed to the government's insistence on extensive modifications, not anticipated at the initial RFP phase, as the source of the cost overruns. [Warwick, Graham. [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/05/22/213992/presidential-helicopter-costs-soar.html "Presidential helicopter costs soar"] , "Flight International", 22 May 2007.]

In December 2007, DoD officials met with the White House Military Office to discuss the VH-71 program's future, as the Pentagon apparently wished to terminate the program due to multiple setbacks, budget issues, and design problems. The White House overruled a cancellation decision and the program was essentially put on hold while options are considered. [http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=3252531&C=america "VH-71 Presidential Helicopter on Hold"] , DefenseNews.com, December 14, 2007] As of July 2008, the VH-71A, also called increment 1, is to reach operating capability in 2010. The second phase of the development, VH-71B or increment 2 is expected to start entering service in 2017. [O'Keeffe, Niall. [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/07/18/225651/vh-71a-to-gain-obtain-operational-capability-in-2010.html "VH-71A to gain obtain operational capability in 2010"] , "Flight International", 18 July 2008.]

Testing

The first test VH-71A, Test Vehicle #2 (TV2), made its initial flight on July 3, 2007 at AgustaWestland's facility in Yeovil, UK. [ [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/07/05/215376/first-vh-71-presidential-helicopter-flies.html "First VH-71 presidential helicopter flies"] flightglobal.com, July 5, 2007.] Lockheed Martin is already using an EH101, designated TV-1, for initial testing in the USA, including landings on the White House lawn.

The first production VH-71A, Pilot Production #1 (PP-1), made its maiden flight on 22 September 2008 from AgustaWestland's Yeovil, UK plant. The US Air Force will transport the helicopter in a C-17 to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland in October 2008 for further testing. [ [http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2008/0922si-vh-71.html "First VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Production Aircraft Takes Flight"] , Lockheed Martin, 22 September 2008.]

Variants

;VH-71A : The initial production VH-71 aircraft or Increment one of the presidential helicopter replacement program, designed to meet an urgent need for new helicopters.

;VH-71B : Increment two will provide 23 operational helicopters with increased range and upgraded navigation and communications systems that fulfill White House requirements to maintain continuity of government and allow the president to carry out the duties of the office. The current presidential helicopters are scheduled to begin phasing out of operational service at a rate of three per year beginning in 2017.

Other competitions

The US101 is also competing for two USAF contracts, the 141-aircraft Combat Search and Rescue Replacement (CSAR-X) project (originally won by the Boeing HH-47 on 10 November 2006, but now subject to a second procurement competition), and the 70-aircraft Common Vertical Lift Support Program (CVLSP). [ [http://www.teamus101.com/444.cfm "CSAR-X"] , teamus101.com.]

Operators

;USA
*United States Marine Corps (on order).
**HMX-1 Marine One Squadron

pecifications (EH-101)

Specifications with an asterisk (*) next to them are specifically for the VH-71.cite news
url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23665969/
title=Costs soar for new Marine One fleet
publisher=MSNBC
author=Peter Baker
date=2008-03-15
accessdate=2008-08-12
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.msnbc.msn.com%2Fid%2F23665969%2F&date=2008-08-12 mirror] ]

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=copter
jet or prop?=prop

Specifications with an asterisk next to them are for the VH-71. The information was found on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23665969/

ref=MSN article
crew=4
capacity=
** 14 seated troops* "or"
** 45 standing troops "or"
** 16 stretchers with medics
length main=74 ft 10 in*
length alt=22.81 m
span main=61 ft 0 in
span alt=18.59 m
height main=21 ft 10 in
height alt=6.65 m
area main=2,992 ft²
area alt=271 m²
empty weight main=23,150 lb
empty weight alt=10,500 kg
useful load main= 12,000 lb
useful load alt= 5,443 kg
max takeoff weight main=34,320 lb
max takeoff weight alt=15,600 kg

engine (prop)=General Electric CT7-8E
type of prop=turboshafts
number of props=3
power main= 2,520 shp
power alt= 1,879 kW

never exceed speed main= 167 knots
never exceed speed alt= 192 mph, 309 km/h
range main=750 NM
range alt=863 mi, 1,389 km
ceiling main= 15,000 ft
ceiling alt= 4,575 m
climb rate main= 2,000 ft/min
climb rate alt= 10.2 m/s
loading main= 11.01 lb/ft²
loading alt= 53.8 kg/m²
power/mass main= 0.174 shp/lb
power/mass alt= 284.9 W/kg

armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* AgustaWestland AW101
* CH-149 Cormorant

similar aircraft=
* NHI NH90
* Sikorsky S-92

sequence=

lists=
* List of helicopters
* List of military transport aircraft

see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.teamus101.com/222.cfm Lockheed Martin VH-71]
* [http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fec&ci=18471&rsbci=0&fti=100&ti=0&sc=400 Lockheed Martin VH-71 Kestrel Video]
* [http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=1675 DoD Special Briefing on Award of Presidential Helicopter Contract]
* [http://www.newsweek.com/id/71006 "Trouble On The Takeoff"] "Newsweek", November 26 2007
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23665969/ "Costs soar for new Marine One fleet"] "MSNBC", March 16 2008
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4PRN/is_2008_April_2/ai_n25122588 "Newest VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Begins Mission Systems Integration"] , "PR Newswire", April 2 2008