AW139's handed over in Italy to IAC

IrishAirCorps

I dont like it we should have gotten UH60's like the ARW and IAC were asking for.


Very cheap looking looks more like a VIP Helo than Troop Transport! :-(








Like i said this looks the dogs danglies.....

babybundy

well it beats the allouettes:rolleyes: i think

Vorsprung

First Maskhadov says they're gay looking...now they're cheap looking. They're designed to carry troops. If they do that well that'll do. Enough of this "ooooh, I'm afraid I don't like the colour, does it come in a lighter shade" bollocks.

muletide

when the tender went out the main thing DOD were looking for was good looks. FFS it is a reliable/powerful troop carrier. Someone has watched too much Blackhawk Down.

The army will be very grateful for the extra assistance these will give and they wont give a toss what they look like. Looks are for anoraks

cork1

How many of these were purchased and how many troops can be carried in each.

armchairninja

IrishAirCorps wrote:

Very cheap looking looks more like a VIP Helo than Troop Transport! :-(

Well, imho, id say its a fairly safe bet that they will be used more for the latter, and anyway as was said already, if they can get airborne and carry troops efficiently, then that'll do!

IrishAirCorps

muletide wrote:

. Someone has watched too much Blackhawk Down.

Never saw the film mate sorry. Its my opinion and lots more think so too BTW it does not carry any armor etc to even give it a Military designation its a civvy helo painted green

IrishAirCorps

muletide wrote:

when the tender went out the main thing DOD were looking for was good looks.

True but the first thing they wanted and begged to get was the UH60 Blackhawk.

IrishAirCorps

bigjimthefirst wrote:

First Maskhadov says they're gay looking...now they're cheap looking. They're designed to carry troops. If they do that well that'll do. Enough of this "ooooh, I'm afraid I don't like the colour, does it come in a lighter shade" bollocks.

Colour comes into it alot you have never heard of Camo have you..........whats an easier target a dull green or the high green above hell even the EC135 is painted duller....

your "that'll do" attitude is the kinda attitude that the top brass has and thats whats makes stupid decisions such as the AW139

Vorsprung

IrishAirCorps wrote:

Colour comes into it alot you have never heard of Camo have you..........whats an easier target a dull green or the high green above hell even the EC135 is painted duller....

Camo for what? They're not going to be deployed overseas.

And besides, Ireland has lots of grass. In fact, it has sometimes been known as quite a GREEN place. So it doesn't exactly stand out when viewed from the air, if that's what you're saying.

cushtac

cork1 wrote:

How many of these were purchased and how many troops can be carried in each.

They've ordered four with an option on two more. Seating depends on the configuration. You can get around 12 plus kit in if you use a two-bench arrangement. The other configuration will seat 8 plus kit & a door gunner each side in four back to back crash-proof seats facing out of the doors.

IrishAirCorps wrote:

True but the first thing they wanted and begged to get was the UH60 Blackhawk.

Then how come it didn't win the competition?

cushtac

IrishAirCorps wrote:

Never saw the film mate sorry. Its my opinion and lots more think so too BTW it does not carry any armor etc to even give it a Military designation its a civvy helo painted green

The difference between a military and civilian helicopter in many cases is merely one of specification. The tender document specified an aircraft with a military fit - seating, comms, etc. This is what makes it a military helicopter. It is a matter of spec, fit, and useage.

IrishAirCorps

cushtac wrote:

Then how come it didn't win the competition?

Top brass had problems with sikorsky and it involved the s92 prob aswell basically they made a balls of it. BTW they are training them to Operate the AW139 Overseas hence the IAC having Heli pilots in the UK for the past few months doing NVG and low Terrain training...

cushtac

IrishAirCorps wrote:

Top brass had problems with sikorsky and it involved the s92 prob aswell basically they made a balls of it.

Who's 'top brass'? Have you any proof of this?

There was no mention of any problems when the results of the competition was announced and Sikorski would have been quick to lodge a complaint if they thought the tender hadn't been run properly (just look at Eurocopter & the MLH competition).

IrishAirCorps

The S92 contract was all over the news....

cushtac

I'm well aware of what happened to the MLH contract, I want to know what you think this had to do with the UH contract.

You state that the Air Corp had 'begged' for the Blackhawk, but 'top brass' had some sort of problem with Sikorski and this affected the outcome of the competition. So are you alleging that the tender was somehow skewed against Sikorski? Or Sikorski made an arse of things at their end?

Mick86

IrishAirCorps wrote:

I dont like it we should have gotten UH60's like the ARW and IAC were asking for.


Very cheap looking looks more like a VIP Helo than Troop Transport! :-(

Once they can get Mary Harney into it without having to resort to a cargo net, it'll do.

IrishAirCorps

Mick86 wrote:

Once they can get Mary Harney into it without having to resort to a cargo net, it'll do.

Then something like this is needed............




Seems nobody has forgotten her trip in the CASA then...:D Fat Pig.

Stimpyone

IrishAirCorps wrote:

True but the first thing they wanted and begged to get was the UH60 Blackhawk.

Sources please...

From what I heard the UH60 is extremely maintenance intensive. Just ask the Aussies, they are less that happy with theirs.

After the Dauphin fascio and the MLH debacle( which in fairness had little to do with the DF ) I think the AC got this tender right, it's just a pity the they didn't excise the remaining units on the tender and then some.