PAUL DERBY
Boeing Sikorsky is ramping up RAH-66 Comanche engineering manufacturing development (EMD) as the US Defence Department ponders an increase in full-rate production of the next-generation attack/scout helicopter. The DoD may boost annual production from 62 to 96 by 2009, bringing forward delivery of the final Comanche by seven years to 2018.Programme duration could also be influenced by an impending US Army decision on whether to use Comanche as a direct replacement for the AH-64D Longbow Apache. The AH-64 is already the subject of substantial remanufacturing to upgrade some 500 A models to Longbow configuration. Beyond that, Boeing is studying further upgrades under the AH-64X label.
The first EMD Comanche is due to fly in early 2004, with the final eight development examples being delivered to the army for initial operating and test evaluation. Boeing Sikorsky says the cockpit canopy tooling, among the most complex on the programme, is now being built. EMD is also using CATIA 3D software to move directly from the digital design to manufacturing and validation.
Meanwhile, two RAH-66 prototypes have completed more than 400 flight hours, achieving airspeed, vertical rate of climb, manoeuvre, slope landing and infra-red signature test goals. Improvements on the first prototype will include the more powerful LHTEC T800-801 turboshaft and anhedral blade tips. Prototype 2 will be used for integration of the mission equipment package (MEP).
Source: Flight Daily News
