RDRickster Posted January 29, 2005 Report Share Posted January 29, 2005 I just heard on the news that Lockheed and the European Team won the bid to build the new Presidential helicopter fleet based on the "US-101." If so, I guess I'll see a lot of large helicopters with three turbine engines flying in my backyard soon. Can anybody confirm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
as350b3 Posted January 29, 2005 Report Share Posted January 29, 2005 RDR, I heard the same a couple of hours ago. What a shocker! I expected it to be a no-brainer (purely based on politics) - guess I need to be more careful making predictions next time.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly for food Posted January 29, 2005 Report Share Posted January 29, 2005 This is true. One of my students knows someone working in the plant that will make a part of it - it was announced to them yesterday at 5pm that the UH101 will be the next helicopter. CNN later confirmed apparently, stated there that the decision was based on being able to carry more load & marketed as a safer helo - NICE win for the euro's..... ::devil:: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gomer Pylot Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 I promise you that what it was based on was the necessity to repay Tony Blair for all the political capital he has spent the last few years. It had nothing to do with the technical merits of either helicopter, it was purely political. And the decision wasn't made by the Navy, or anyone in the Pentagon, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeloApex Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 It is very true. Straight from Sikorsky:Sikorsky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IgorS Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 I really doubt if there's any intrigue here, for the following reasons... 1. I've been very close to US Military source selections in the past. While the process is filled with internal in-fighting and internal politics among the committee members, the career civil servants who work the source selections are just about invulnerable from outside pressure. They have jobs for life. 2. Any funny business -- in terms of pressure applied by the white house or any other elected officials -- will eventually come out in the press. So, it's a no-win situation for politicos to get involved. They'll just look like asses in the end. Again, the Navy civilians who worked the source selection could care less about what makes this president or that president angry or happy. That president will be gone soon. That said, this is a monumentally stupid decision, and typical of DoD. The selection was probably based on a narrow set of technical and cost issues, and the selection committee focused myopically on these factors and ignored Sikorsky's place in history, their record of quality and innovation, and the simple truth that the president's helicopter ought to be US made. I read something a while back that had the quote, "do you think that Silvio Berluscone would ever be seen riding in a Ford?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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