Stealth Helicopters ?

[Jaryd stock]

I saw on the news tonight that the media are saying that although they have never been seen that the Blackhawks used in the Osama Bin Laden raid were highly modified Stealth versions of the chopper, if thats true anyone got any info yet on them and whats been modified ?.....

[Jaryd stock]

I got this artists impression of the modified Hawks that were used from blackhorizon.com.mh-x3 (1).jpg

[Jaryd stock]

The only info I could find on these choppers were that 8 Blackhawks were ordered in the early 90's that just vanished after they were deliverd to USAF and apparently that they were transferd to a military instalation somewhere in the Nevada dessert (wonder where).

The program was based on the F-117 regarding angles and radar absorbing materieals such as paint and other equipment that muffles the sound of the helicopter's rotors and engines.

Just think I wonder if the USA would of owend up to the existence of these aircraft if one of them hadn't crashed. Would love to know what they've got at Skunk Works or at tha so called instalation in the Nevada dessert...

[A McLaughlin]

The Black Hawks were reportedly modified by Boeing under a contract let in the late 90s - I think there's more than eight of them.

I think they are based at Tonopah Test Range (TTR) which is about 100km NW of Area 51. TTR is where the F-117s operated from in the late 80s and where they are now stored, and also where some of the F-16 adversary 'Migs' operate out of during Red Flag.

37°47'52.76"N, 116°46'33.02"W

The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment trains on standard Black Hawks most of the time, but crews rotate to and from TTR to train on the special birds occasionally as well.

Apart from the funky tail and horizontal stabs, the tail rotor features five blades and a hub cover plate, the aircraft have treated 'gold' windscreens and side windows similar to modern fighter canopies, and a comprehensive electronic warfare suite which provides self defence and electronic attack capabilities.

[Jaryd stock]

Andrew are these a totally new breed of Blackhawks that are made from scratch or are these Just add on's put on to an exsisting frame like they have done with the F-15SE/ IRM F-18E/F to make them more stealthy if that make sense.

[A McLaughlin]

Originally Posted by Jaryd stock

Andrew are these a totally new breed of Blackhawks that are made from scratch or are these Just add on's put on to an exsisting frame like they have done with the F-15SE/ IRM F-18E/F to make them more stealthy if that make sense.

I believe they were modified post production.

The F-15SE is a "new breed" of F-15 - none of the SE bits can be retrofitted to older model F-15s. Many of the IRM Super Hornet bits and pieces won't be retrofittable either.

[Jaryd stock]

David Crane from the website Defence Review states and I qoute " It would seem logical that the MH-47's that were also used in the raid were also stealthified to some degree" thats a speculation on there part i assume. I would guess the got alot out of the ARH-66 programe for the blackhawks anyway.

[A McLaughlin]

Originally Posted by Jaryd stock

David Crane from the website Defence Review states and I qoute " It would seem logical that the MH-47's that were also used in the raid were also stealthified to some degree" thats a speculation on there part i assume. I would guess the got alot out of the ARH-66 programe for the blackhawks anyway.

Stealthifying a Chinook? Hmmm...

It's my understanding that the Chinooks stood off until the raiders were ready to be extracted. By then the cat would have been well and truly out of the bag and there would have been no need to be stealthy.

[Damian N]

[QUOTE=A McLaughlin;59890]I believe they were modified post production.

The F-15SE is a "new breed" of F-15 - none of the SE bits can be retrofitted to older model F-15s. QUOTE]

It was my understanding F-15SE bits can be retrofitted to existing F-15E s.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...eneration.html

As for the stealthy "blackhawks" I would suspect that it was much more than their tail assembly and windows which were modified. My suspicion would be that the bulk/ all of the fuselage was modded with the retention of the Blackhawks dynamic components, engines, transmissions etc.

I have been following this story since it started and there appears to be more talk now that the mods were mainly limited to the tail design. However I find it suspicious and extremely unlucky for the US if the part of the chopper which was most modified was also the piece that got left behind!

The way that the horizontal stabiliser is modded on the wreckage and swept forward I would imagine would mean noticeable changes in flight characteristics and software etc so I suspect the US probably went the 'whole hog' and modified the bulk of / entire fuselage.

I suspect one thing is certain - if the wreckage was not left behind I doubt anyone would be any wiser as to what was used.

[A McLaughlin]

Sorry, but it doesn't say there that any of the SE mods are retrofittable to existing F-15s Damian.