![]() ![]() Prototype retired from flight test duty on 30 January 2002, by which time it had accumulated 387.1 flight hours in 318 sorties.Īft fuselage section of second prototype (95-0001) delivered by Boeing to Stratford in early December 1996 for mating with forward fuselage completed helicopter exhibited at Army Aviation Association's annual meeting in April 1998 and then to West Palm Beach. Following transfer to Sikorsky's Development Flight Test Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, during June 1995, first flight accomplished on 4 January 1996. PSTB subsequently suffered failure of left input bevel gear, which disintegrated and punched hole in main gearbox housing during 110% power test resonance blamed for failure.įront and rear sections of prototype joined at Stratford 25 January 1995 completed helicopter (94-0327) rolled out. PSTB trials commenced in 1995 at West Palm Beach, with 100% torque from both engines achieved during first 10 hours of running. STA airframe delivered to Stratford 1994, at which time PSTB under construction there. Prototype construction began 29 November 1993 with forward fuselage at Sikorsky, Stratford Boeing built aft fuselage in Philadelphia. At same time, however, further R&D economies under study December 1994 decision reduced dem/val phase to two prototypes (lacking Longbow/Hellfire capability). Prototype critical design review, completed in December 1993, authorised production of three YRAH-66 prototypes (first item for which manufactured in September 1993). Several versions of programme timetable were considered prior to that currently implemented. LHX designation changed to LH early 1990, then US Army designation RAH-66 Comanche in April 1991. LHTEC T800 engine specified October 1988. ![]() RAH 66 COMANCHE PLUSBoeing Sikorsky selected 5 April 1991 to build four YRAH-66 demonstration/validation prototypes in 78 month programme, plus static test article (STA) and propulsion system testbed (PSTB). LHX request for proposals issued 21 June 1988 23 month demonstration/validation contracts to Boeing Sikorsky and Bell/McDonnell Douglas. Three LRIP batches, totalling 73 aircraft, are to be built to Block I standard, followed by 108 Block II helicopters, whereupon Block III will be introduced. Most recent restructuring of programme has resulted in further cut in planned procurement to 650 over 12 year period, according to defence acquisition review that was completed on 7 October 2002 Army still intends to field Comanche in Blocks incorporating incremental improvements with low-rate initial production to begin in 2007. ![]() Under latter procurement plan, initial production examples to so-called Block I standard for armed reconnaissance definitive Block II standard to follow with heavy attack capability Block III to introduce added mission capabilities, including sensor fusion and AAMs. Light Helicopter Experimental (LHX) design concepts requested by US Army 1981 numerous changes of programme original plan for 5,000 to replace UH-1, AH-1, OH-58 and OH-6 reduced in 1987 to 2,096 scout/attack only, replacing 3,000 existing helicopters further cut to 1,292 in 1990 (with another 389 possible) and then to 1,096 in 1999, although subsequently raised to 1,213 (including eight for US Army operational evaluation) by mid-2000. In early 2002, Boeing Sikorsky announced selection of Bridgeport, Connecticut, as final assembly location for the production RAH-66 also in 2002, the Joint Program Office moved from Huntsville, Alabama, to Bridgeport. Jim Winchester "The World's Worst Aircraft", 2005īoeing and Sikorsky began collaboration on what later became the RAH-66 in June 1985 and received a contract for the demonstration/validation programme in 1991. In the end, 16 years and the expenditure of $8 billion only achieved little more than two flying prototypes and a partially completed test programme. As the numbers fell, the per-unit cost rose from $12.1 million to $58.9 million. An early plan envisaged procurement of as many as 5023 Comanches, later reduced to 1400, then 1213 and finally 650. ![]() Slow funding of the programme encouraged more roles and capabilities to be added, increasing the weight and cost. The Comanche was intended to replace the US Army's relatively unsophisticated OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and AH-1 Cobra with a stealthy multi-sensor platform able to carry out scouting and attack missions, shoot down enemy helicopters and pass data directly to the Longbow Apache attack helicopter. Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 "Comanche" helicopter - development history, photos, technical data ![]()
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