New stealth helicopter?

thetourist · Post by **thetourist** » Thu May 05, 2011 9:02 pm

CNN and Aviation weekly are reporting that the raid on Bin Laden may have used a new stealth transport helicopter. Looking at the pics of the wreckage they dint look like anything I've seen.

HKurban · Post by **HKurban** » Fri May 06, 2011 1:33 am

How long til GHQ has a model out of it?

Donald M. Scheef · Post by **Donald M. Scheef** » Fri May 06, 2011 5:09 am

GHQ's 2011-2012 release schedule should be avilable in two weeks. Perhaps they will announce a model of the new stealth helicopter.

Don S.

David F · Post by **David F** » Fri May 06, 2011 6:06 am

Huh? very intersting. Makes me think of the goofy TV show Airwolf.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42912904/ns ... bin_laden/

Can't you hear the theme song now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIoSPevvsds

David

Mk 1 · Post by **Mk 1** » Sat May 07, 2011 1:52 am

For those who are interested, there is a thread on TankNet describing this in more detail, and listing several other sites that have articles or threads on this same topic:

http://208.84.116.223/forums/index.php? ... ntry859548

suisse6 · Post by **suisse6** » Sat May 07, 2011 3:31 am

My only question is how stealthy is it really if 1 in 3 falls out of the sky and must be blown up in situ? Sure they may not have seen it come in, but if the hulk is still there to pick through, it seems to be a case of missing the forest for the trees. I'm pretty certain the wreckage will be pored over by Chinese experts and we will hear of a Chinese "stealth" helicopter in the next five years. Even if that's not the case, I'm sure they will study it and try to identify how the signature (heat/sound,etc) is reduced in order to find ways to counter act it. Just my thoughts.

PS Blowing it up with some C4 may destroy the electronics, but the fuselage is more or less intact.

HKurban · Post by **HKurban** » Sat May 07, 2011 4:10 am

The only thing left was the tail boom which was hanging over the compound wall, they likely used thermite grenades as is SOP. For what ever reason, in their haste they did not use enough or did not place it well enough to get the tail boom with the burn.

As far as the reason for the crash (and this is all hearsay since there has been no official statement on the matter) the "Stealth" Hawk was made by adding radar absorbing panels onto the fuselage, which increased the overall weight of the helicopter. With the helicopter operating at pretty much the max weight, it struggled under its own weight to beat the air current created by the rotors, and ultimately failed.

How many times did the V-22 crash and burn before we got the functional transport that we have today?

Edit:

Artist's rendition of the Stealth Hawk

thetourist · Post by **thetourist** » Sat May 07, 2011 6:31 am

The theory is that these have been in use for five years or so and are only now coming to light. I read that the air density coupled with the weight of the fully loaded aircraft caused it to fall short of it's target, with the tail landing over the wall. It is possible that the Chinese will get a look at this. It depends on how complicit the Pakistani's top brass were involved in this. If the story is true and they weren't informed at all then you can bet on it being passed along to the Chinese.

Cav Dog · Post by **Cav Dog** » Mon May 09, 2011 10:11 pm

Google "Vortex Ring State" for the most likely explanation of what caused the hard landing pending the release of more information. I don't think the tailboom landed on the wall or it wouldn't have been described as a hard landing; they would have called it a crash. Helicopter airframes are relatively fragile (even special ops versions) and not many would survive the impact with a fixed object like a wall without shedding parts. Especially when tail boom and tail rotor components are involved.

I think the reason the tail boom is on the other side of the wall is that when they blew the airframe with a thermite grenade on top of the main rotor assembly, (which is SOP), the aft portion of the tailboom assembly was blown over the wall when the thermite burn ignited the remaining fuel.

thetourist · Post by **thetourist** » Tue May 10, 2011 7:15 am

Thanks for the clarification. I read about the vortex created by the high altitude coupled with the walls of the compound. It only adds to the impressive nature of the operation that these guys got out of there with no casualties after a hard landing thrown at them.