And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
The story is that Boeing royally screwed up the system engineering. Among other problems, they supposedly didn't leave enough room for the co-pilot, despite Sikorsky's protests. The problem became critical too late to fix.
Having seen the damage Boeing :management" and "leadership" can do in other programs, particularly if they impose their version of "system engineering", I find the story very believable.
the Comanche was supposed to replace the lighter scout helicopters the Army uses. Think the OH-58 Kiowa. Weapons were carried internally to improve stealth. Comanche got whacked under Rumsfeld, along with Crusader artillery system, all in the name of 'transformation' and fighting the war on terror. but the Army's scout helos are really tired now, and the AH-64 Apaches that have been doing the job are really too big for the role. But we mortgaged out future for the fight then. Lack of foresight...
It was cancelled because it was overtaken by AA technology, and we'd already wasted $7B on a helicopter program that was trying to fight an opponent using Vietnam War technology.
It was felt the money going forward would be better spent on the UH-60 and AH-64 acquisition programs, rather than making a gold-plated obsolete scout copter than would cost more than a fighter.
Apparently, most of the people cut from that program moved straight over to the F-35 Thunderjug boondoggle, with predictable results.
Comanche aka The Blunt Nosed Money Gobbler 5 Billion over 10 years produced 4 aircraft before it was decided to give up. Was in the Pentagon the Monday after the program was cancelled (after the market closed on Friday). The Contractor gravy train crashed… How expensive was the program? Army kept the programmed money and replaced every Blackhawk in the Army and had change left over.
I live in Jupiter, FL, adjacent/backing up to the Class D airspace where this thing was tested. I regularly watched it fly over the Everglades behind my house. Unique sound, crazy antics. I was sorry to see the project canceled.
RAH-66 Comanche cancelled in 2004.
ReplyDeleteCANCELLED? Noooooooooooooooooooo!
DeleteBoeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche
ReplyDeleteThe story is that Boeing royally screwed up the system engineering. Among other problems, they supposedly didn't leave enough room for the co-pilot, despite Sikorsky's protests. The problem became critical too late to fix.
Having seen the damage Boeing :management" and "leadership" can do in other programs, particularly if they impose their version of "system engineering", I find the story very believable.
I see a copilot here.
DeleteMunitions stored internal on a rotating rack. On a helicopter.
Maybe they meant it as a test bed for proof of concept.
the Comanche was supposed to replace the lighter scout helicopters the Army uses. Think the OH-58 Kiowa. Weapons were carried internally to improve stealth. Comanche got whacked under Rumsfeld, along with Crusader artillery system, all in the name of 'transformation' and fighting the war on terror. but the Army's scout helos are really tired now, and the AH-64 Apaches that have been doing the job are really too big for the role. But we mortgaged out future for the fight then. Lack of foresight...
ReplyDeleteTruth. The mismanagement going on in the entire Militay Industrial complex is a major risk to National Security.
DeleteAs in the Little Coffin Ship.
DeleteIt's really ugly from the side view.
ReplyDeleteIt was cancelled because it was overtaken by AA technology, and we'd already wasted $7B on a helicopter program that was trying to fight an opponent using Vietnam War technology.
ReplyDeleteIt was felt the money going forward would be better spent on the UH-60 and AH-64 acquisition programs, rather than making a gold-plated obsolete scout copter than would cost more than a fighter.
Apparently, most of the people cut from that program moved straight over to the F-35 Thunderjug boondoggle, with predictable results.
Comanche aka The Blunt Nosed Money Gobbler
ReplyDelete5 Billion over 10 years produced 4 aircraft before it was decided to give up.
Was in the Pentagon the Monday after the program was cancelled (after the market closed on Friday).
The Contractor gravy train crashed…
How expensive was the program? Army kept the programmed money and replaced every Blackhawk in the Army and had change left over.
I live in Jupiter, FL, adjacent/backing up to the Class D airspace where this thing was tested. I regularly watched it fly over the Everglades behind my house. Unique sound, crazy antics. I was sorry to see the project canceled.
ReplyDelete