Ec145 Wins

[widgeon]

Just announced that EADS have won the US LUH competition. Time was when having a Texan in the White house ensured Bell Contracts.

[Elvis]

Maybe he realized that American Eurocopter is also in Texas

[Fenestron]

good for the EC 145.

 

What happened to Bells optimism? I thought I read a story where they pretty much had it in the bag at their offering was the only one that met the requirements??? Oh well, Bell, better luck next time. :punk:

[skullcap]

yeah am sure was a close race,,,,,145 or heavy 412 crap.

 

All they would have to do is ask a few hundred Canadian Forces chaps to find that out(or ask just one, would be same answer). The fact that the liberal government authorized buying 100 griffons without any competition or resistance(abit owing to the amount of flapping and honking over buying a few Commerants at the same time) is somewhat short of amazing. The only military contract I every worked was due to the excess funds available within AETE as the griffon was broke down so much their operating budget was still quite full allowing us civies to train a few folks on the attributes/detributes of Astar and 500D. But that is another story.

 

sc

[southern canuck]

Just announced that EADS have won the US LUH competition. Time was when having a Texan in the White house ensured Bell Contracts.

 

widgeon: just spent last week flight testing on LUH-145, excellent ship, build quality as expected.

pretty happy day around here, best ship won regardless of where it was built

dr

[widgeon]

Yes S K it is refreshing to see the best ship win , in the past I fear it was not so . Let's hope the next Canadian procurements are free of political influence.

[vintagemilano]

I don't consider a 145 or a BK117 to be a light utility helicopter. Neither does forestry. I'm sure the designation has more to do with contract requirements than anything.

[Hover-Pig]

There is a very big difference in how industry and military view the categories.

 

I flew Twin Hueys (B212) and we always considered them light and the Chinooks guys were referred to as Medium lift. I also flew the Lab (BV107) and the Sea King (S61) and there where medium lift..........whoa... eh.

 

Anyhow, in military speak I believe that anything up to 15k is light, 15K to 50K is medium and anything above 50K is heavy lift. Based on that, the LUH 145 is indeed a light machine as far as the military is concerned.

 

It took me a while to adjust to the different classifications after leaving the military and to not look at guys funny when they were all excited to get on an old 204 or 205 which the military would have considered "light" and single-engined...yuck! ( this is by no means to de-value the work or quality of the pilots in industry so hold your comments...it's just what you grow with)

 

Same goes for IFR versus VFR, ex-military guys think nothing of night or IMC in a proper machine but then most of us haven't a clue how to longline. Either pilot though can learn the other, again it is just a matter of where your bread was buttered.