NH-90 prototype at Sydney
 

You lot must be getting slack in your spotting...an NH-90 prototype is currently parked outside of Blue Sky Helicopters at the heliport and not one mention here until now. It's sitting on the tray of a low-loader landside.

I believe it arrived in the early hours of this morning.

Yes, very slack, as I passed it on the way in and out this morning. Unfortunately there were no discernible markings except NH90 on the nose. Weather prevented a good photo.

According to oz-spotters another one is due about 6pm this evening. It is reported to be an Italian Navy example, with a call sign of India 1579 (credit Jim Woodrow).

I was lucky enough to have been there this morning and was able to grab quite a few photos and get up close and personal, great aircraft will post photos when edited.

The real deal arrived at 1751, and is now parked out the front of the old Westpac Lifesaver hangar. Friendly Italian crew too.

It has come from Brisbane via Port Macquarie today. There were quite a few spotters on the fence, so I'm sure a picture will pop up somewhere.

Brisbane arrival and test flying earlier this week.

http://i50.tinypic.com/33eli12.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/2qcidcy.jpg

http://i47.tinypic.com/16gmwdg.jpg

Mick

And the two-tone demo mock-up.

http://i48.tinypic.com/bi1mw2.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/2ic9tt1.jpg

Mick

Sitting at YSSY today...

http://nickfouche.smugmug.com/photos...38_tvr4N-L.jpg

http://nickfouche.smugmug.com/photos...07_DFnvn-L.jpg

http://nickfouche.smugmug.com/photos...92_L87jq-L.jpg

http://nickfouche.smugmug.com/photos...00_Be2V5-L.jpg

http://nickfouche.smugmug.com/photos...92_TByjj-L.jpg

It might be the server I'm using, but I don't see anything NickN.:confused:

All the pics are showing for me. Thanks for sharing Nick and Mick. Love the head on shot!!

Found some more photos here, great looking helicopter!! It also appears to features one of our board members too!!! ;)

Click here

Apparently the flyable NH-90 will be up on Australia Day around the harbour then making it's way to nowra not long after that.

From memory it will return from Nowra in February and will be loaded onto an Antonov (124 I assume) for departure about 10-11 February at this stage.

Regards.

Anyone seen the truck and helicopter wasn`t by Blue Sky earlier today?

The flying helo will be in the Blue Sky hangar, and the non-flyer will be in one of the halls at the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre for PAC010 by now.

Thanks Andrew

There's a snowflakes chance that monster would fit in the Blue Sky helibox!;) It's been folded up and snuggly fits in the old Westpac Lifesave Hangar with about a foot to spare at the front and a couple of feet spare at the back.

The static one left for Darling Harbour on the back of the truck at around 0130 this morning.

India 1579 flew a mission to Picton drop zone from Sydney this morning... tracked via Sea Cliff bridge at Scarbrough then to Picton and return... Had a great view of it from Bald Hill lookout... Big chopper but very quite..

Cheers

From today
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/...e138551f_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2770/...6bd1c226_b.jpg

I was meant to be on that flight but... anyway (:mad:), the CEO of Australian Aerospace is also a champion skydiver, and he actually jumped out of the NFH whilst over Picton! The helo then landed, picked him up, and returned to YSSY!

dam CEO'S !!!! would have been a great little trip... did a nice tight turn over the top of the bridge before heading north up the coast.... commiserations Andrew....

The helicopter is now in Canberra.

It will be back in Sydney tomorrow afternoon sometime after 1600.

There should have been an An-124 arriving at 0605 this morning to collect the 2 choppers for ferrying to HNL either tonight or tomorrow. Unfortunately Russian reliability meant it didn't turn up early this morning...