The Air Force is getting rid of an iconic helicopter. And there’s a big fight over...

how to replace it.

The UH-1 Huey has been a mainstay of U.S. wars since its debut in the jungles of Vietnam. Now, the Air Force is looking to retire the venerable aircraft, and lawmakers are fighting over how it will be replaced. The Air Force fields roughly 60 UH-1N Hueys that are split between a number of missions. One contingent of the helicopters provides security to intercontinental ballistic missile sites, while another is meant to evacuate members of the government during a time of national emergency. The Air Force also uses a small number of Hueys for search- and-rescue missions.

The Air Force has been eyeballing a replacement for the Huey since the early 1990s but steadily delayed making a decision until the service’s most recent attempt in 2013. The initiative, called the Common Vertical Lift Support Platform program, was cut out of the 2013 defense budget because of sequestration. The Air Force has since moved forward with an acquisition strategy to replace the Hueys after Strategic Command determined earlier this year that there was now an “urgent need” to replace the aging helicopter. The Marine Corps currently uses a more modernized version of the Huey and has no plans to replace it.

The Army, which first deployed Hueys in combat in Vietnam in the 1960s, phased out the UH-1 in favor of the UH-60 Black Hawk, retiring it from active Army service a decade ago.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...nd-theres-a-big-fight-over-how-to-replace-it/

My first thought is why replace the venerable Huey? Its not a front line helicopter as is-its economical, and its already in the fleet. Unless they are physically falling apart is there a need?

 

The Air Force wants to replace the Hueys with the Army UH-60 "Black Hawk."

Why?

Well for starters, the current Air Force Huey helicopters have been in service since 1970 and are outdated, The Vietnam era UH-1Ns don't meet any of the speed, payload or survivability requirements.

The plan is to purchase Army UH-60A Black Hawks and upgrade them to the UH-60L through existing government contracts. The upgrades include more powerful engines and an automatic flight control system.

To sum up, the UH-60 is a better helicopter.

 

Perhaps the Blackhawk is the better helo, but has the job (working missile defense fields) changed so radically that the Huey thats been doing it for decades suddenly can't? If its that they are falling apart, I get it.

 

That's not all the Hueys do in the Air Force.

I fail to see the issue in wanting to replace an aircraft that has been in service for 46 years.

It's not asking to design and build a brand new helicopter, the plan is to purchase existing earlier model Army Black Hawks, upgrade them with exisiting government contracts and retire the Huey.

There are certainly enough spare parts and technicians to keep the replacement UH-60s flying for a long time.

I'm under the impression you think Air Force flying is the equivlalent to joy riding if you're not in direct combat.

The primary missions include the airlift of emergency security forces, therefore speed, payload and survivability are important considerations. Why is it too much to ask for a more modernized fleet of existing helicopters upgraded under existing government contracts.

 

The Marine Corps retired their last UH-1 N just two years ago.

But one hundred of the Marines UH-1 N's were upgraded to UH-1 Y Super Huey's aka "Venom's."

And most of the Marines UH-1 Y's are being upgraded to the UH-1 Z's., the "Viper."

Well they have gone from the UH-1 A all they through the UH-1 Z.

What comes after "Z" ?

I suppose they'll have to close down the production line.

 

I dont think they are going for joy rides. I just wan't to see money spent where it will keep the greatest number of aircraft safely flying.

 

I think the N and Z have dual engines, correct?

The Z is still in production.

 

Usually the Air Force goes the way with the Marines and Navy. Why not upgrade the UH-1 N's to UH-1 W's like the Marines did or even go with the UH-1 Z's ?

What I will miss when all of the Marines UH-1's are upgraded to the UH-1 Z is the popping sound you hear from Huey's when their blade tips are breaking the sound barrier. That pop pop pop only a Huey made.

The UH-1 Z's has four blades.

Hey US Conservative, did you go to the air show at March over the weekend ? I heard the Thunderbirds were there.

 

I didn't, but I wanted to. Had work stuff to do. Im 20 miles west of there, but I could hear them. I used to get to airshows at March and Thermal almost every year but have been too busy recently.

 

Yes. Air Force, Navy and Marine helios always called for two engines post Vietnam War.

When I served the Corps was flying the UH-1 E's. They switched to the UH-1 N's I believe starting in the 70's.

I remember some UH-1 B gunships but they were being phased out and replaced with the AH-1 Cobra's.

 

The US Air Force currently uses about 60 Huey helicopters for a number of missions, including search and rescue ones. The Marine Corps uses a more modernized version of the UH-1 and has no plans to replace it, according to The Washington Post.
The newspaper said on Thursday that some critics say that the Black Hawk is not a suitable replacement for Hueys and there are less costly designs to meet the needs of the US Air Force.


Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20160422/1038418488/usaf-seeks-huey-replacement.html#ixzz46b6pYA16

 

The better choice for the Air Force is a UH-60 over a UH-1Y.

If they don't go with upgrading an Army A-model to an L-model Black Hawk, another alternative is the UH-60M. The M aircraft would be about 95 percent common with the new Air Force HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter being developed to replace the Pave Hawk.

Brand new UH-60M are $17 million.

The cost of the new Marine replacement Huey, the UH-1Y is $26 million.

 

Remember when the Air Force was looking for a new Combat Rescue Helicopter ? I was following the debate in the helicopter trade magazines. The competition was between the HH-60, HH-47 and Lockheed's US-101.

I read that the HH-60's had a rotorwash issue. The US-101 was probably the most versatile. I thought for sure the Boeing HH-47 was going to win the contract. The Air Force went with the Blackhawk but I wonder how much of the Obama White House played on the decision ? Valerie Jarrett would rather see more money being spent on PC social engineering of the military than on helicopters.

The article below is from almost five years ago.

CSAR-X: And Boeing Makes One… for a Little While

Back on June 13, 2005, while covering the “US101” EH-101 variant’s approval as the next US Presidential helicopter, DID noted that the rivals for this bid (Lockheed’s “US101” and Sikorsky’s H-92 Superhawk) would likely be squaring off again for an $11-12 billion contract to provide the USA’s next generation Combat Search And Rescue helicopter. Lockheed remained firm on its European EH101 platform, while Sikorsky would eventually announce the HH-92 Superhawk as its contender in Febrary 2005.

In September 2005, DID wrote a background/analysis called “US CSAR Competition: And Boeing Makes 3…” as that firm entered the fray on two fronts. Boeing’s choices left its rivals in a difficult competitive position, and even though one of those options was withdrawn before the end of the contest, Boeing’s HH-47 would eventually win it all external link and fly off with a contract estimated at $10 billion for 145 aircraft. This DID FOCUS Article chronicles the CSAR-X program impetus and winning entry, as well as ongoing contracts and key events in the program as they come up.

Continue -> http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com...-one-hh47-wins-10b-competition-updated-02788/

 

From the article you posted

What's been lacking in helicopter technology is flight control for landing in DEVs. Degraded visual environments, like heavy precipitation, white outs in snow and brown outs in sand, heavy smoke.

Many airplanes have their instruments coupled with airport instrument landing systems to guide them safely to a runway in limited visual conditions. Helicopters routinely fly into and out of areas with no navigation aids to assist them when flying in instrument conditions, meaning they rely more on external visual cues for navigating in bad weather, particularly when landing.

Gulfstream has had a synthetic vision display offered in many of their business jets since 2009.
[video=youtube;FScrmxs-t7A] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FScrmxs-t7A[/video]

I don't why the military doesn't take the existing technology and develop a system for their rotorcraft that typically rely heavily upon visual navigation. When the visual environment gets degraded there's a higher risk for accidents.

The replacement Air Force CSAR helicopter, the HH-60W is supposed to have provisions for new flight-control technology for landing in degraded visual environments (DEVs), like brownouts, whiteouts and heavy rain.

 

I went to high school with a half a dozen who flew Huey's in Vietnam and many a dozen more who were either Crew Chiefs or door gunners. Each had there favorite Huey model be it the B, D, H, E, etc.

I was surprised when they pointed out the only navigation equipment a Huey had was a compass, altimeter and air speed. It was all visual flying (VFR) . No GPS back in the day.

But GPS is always right on when it comes to latitude but always off when it comes to longitude depending where you are in the world. Anywhere from a few inches to up to thirty feet. GPS surveying would never be allowed to be used in a court of law on a property line dispute. I've been through that and had it thrown out of court. The property in question was in the San Gabriel Mountains and the GPS was off nine feet to the west on the longitude.

This satellite imaging website usually will show property lines and if you compare it to an official surveyors maps you'll noticed how far off the longitude readings are off. -> http://www.terrafly.com/

So I was talking to an American Airlines pilot about landing at an airport using GPS. He mention something about a piece of equipment on the ground that is used along with GPS to corrects the longitude reading to the true reading. But I forget what this equipment is called, do you know ?


Airplanes Can Now Take Off and Land With GPS. -> http://mashable.com/2012/02/07/faa-gps/#PqcrVjyuTaqq