thedrifter
09-27-04, 07:22 AM
A copter fit for a President
Race to build president's helicopter cast in patriotic tones
DESIGNERS say it flies faster, farther and smoother. Pilots say the latest collision avoidance systems in the all-digital cockpit make it the safest in the air.
Then there's the wood-panelled cabin, soft leather seats, on-board galley, executive bathroom and a bank of TV screens, satellite links and video conferencing equipment.
If it sounds like a helicopter fit for a president, that's because the VH-92 Superhawk is one of two new aircraft competing for a US$1.6 billion ($2.7b) contract.
'It has everything the president needs to have an Oval Office in the sky,' said Mr Joe Haddock, vice-president for government business at Sikorsky Aircraft, the United Technologies Corp unit that designed the Superhawk with Rockwell Collins.
The Superhawk's cutting-edge avionics include eye-level glass displays that allow pilots to keep their eyes on the horizon while tracking flight and navigational data.
For security reasons, the demonstration model lacks some items featured in the real thing. But executives said the demo provides a glimpse of the latest technology available to the leader of the free world.
The Pentagon is also considering a rival aircraft, Lockheed Martin Corp's US101, for the contract to replace 19 Sikorsky Sea King helicopters - some dating from 1974 - with 23 new ones by 2008.
A decision is expected in December. Both sides claim they have the best craft for ferrying the president and teams of advisers in the post-Sep 11 era of heightened security.
Mr Steve Ramsey, vice-president for Lockheed Martin's US101 project, said the US101 is just as fast as the VH-92, but is bigger, wider and has more cabin space.
But Sikorsky, which has supplied US presidents with helicopters since 1957, has also used Lockheed Martin's overseas ties to frame the contest as a test of corporate patriotism.
Presidential helicopters, referred to as Marine One when the president is aboard, are stationed at military bases across the country to ferry the president on short trips of 240km or less. For longer trips, the president flies aboard Air Force One.
The VH-92 can cruise at speeds of 281kmh and withstand strikes from a 1kg pigeon travelling 305kmh, officials said.
The transparent eye-level glass displays are slightly smaller than a sheet of paper.
New technology was also used to make the dashboard less cluttered and more user-friendly.
Five easy-to-read liquid crystal displays replace the bank of circular gauges found in most older dashboards.
At the push of a button, pilots can call up flight data, local maps and weather patterns or warnings in a variety of colours.
Mr Schreder said the VH-92 is also the first helicopter equipped with detailed terrain and situational awareness systems.
A bank of sensors collects information about the terrain below and ahead.
The information is analysed with on-board databases to produce television-like images to aid pilots with navigation in bad weather or landing on uneven surfaces. - Wire services.
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/top/story/0,4136,73280,00.html
Ellie
Race to build president's helicopter cast in patriotic tones
DESIGNERS say it flies faster, farther and smoother. Pilots say the latest collision avoidance systems in the all-digital cockpit make it the safest in the air.
Then there's the wood-panelled cabin, soft leather seats, on-board galley, executive bathroom and a bank of TV screens, satellite links and video conferencing equipment.
If it sounds like a helicopter fit for a president, that's because the VH-92 Superhawk is one of two new aircraft competing for a US$1.6 billion ($2.7b) contract.
'It has everything the president needs to have an Oval Office in the sky,' said Mr Joe Haddock, vice-president for government business at Sikorsky Aircraft, the United Technologies Corp unit that designed the Superhawk with Rockwell Collins.
The Superhawk's cutting-edge avionics include eye-level glass displays that allow pilots to keep their eyes on the horizon while tracking flight and navigational data.
For security reasons, the demonstration model lacks some items featured in the real thing. But executives said the demo provides a glimpse of the latest technology available to the leader of the free world.
The Pentagon is also considering a rival aircraft, Lockheed Martin Corp's US101, for the contract to replace 19 Sikorsky Sea King helicopters - some dating from 1974 - with 23 new ones by 2008.
A decision is expected in December. Both sides claim they have the best craft for ferrying the president and teams of advisers in the post-Sep 11 era of heightened security.
Mr Steve Ramsey, vice-president for Lockheed Martin's US101 project, said the US101 is just as fast as the VH-92, but is bigger, wider and has more cabin space.
But Sikorsky, which has supplied US presidents with helicopters since 1957, has also used Lockheed Martin's overseas ties to frame the contest as a test of corporate patriotism.
Presidential helicopters, referred to as Marine One when the president is aboard, are stationed at military bases across the country to ferry the president on short trips of 240km or less. For longer trips, the president flies aboard Air Force One.
The VH-92 can cruise at speeds of 281kmh and withstand strikes from a 1kg pigeon travelling 305kmh, officials said.
The transparent eye-level glass displays are slightly smaller than a sheet of paper.
New technology was also used to make the dashboard less cluttered and more user-friendly.
Five easy-to-read liquid crystal displays replace the bank of circular gauges found in most older dashboards.
At the push of a button, pilots can call up flight data, local maps and weather patterns or warnings in a variety of colours.
Mr Schreder said the VH-92 is also the first helicopter equipped with detailed terrain and situational awareness systems.
A bank of sensors collects information about the terrain below and ahead.
The information is analysed with on-board databases to produce television-like images to aid pilots with navigation in bad weather or landing on uneven surfaces. - Wire services.
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/top/story/0,4136,73280,00.html
Ellie