But Program's Future Cloudy At Best

Even with the future of the program very much in doubt, Lockheed Martin is pressing on with testing of the first VH-71 presidential helicopters. The first production aircraft recently completed initial ground vibration testing on schedule at the end of January at the Navy's Presidential Helicopter Support Facility in Patuxent River, MD.

The testing was conducted on a pre-missionized aircraft to test the basic airframe. Pilot Production One (PP-1) spent roughly six weeks undergoing a series of tests intended to assess the airframe's vibration characteristics.

As a production representative aircraft, the results will be used as a baseline measurement for all five VH-71 production helicopters that make up the first phase, or Increment One, of the VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Program, and to refine models used for structural analysis.

"Basically we lift the aircraft off the ground and vibrate it," said Naval Air Systems Engineer Bob Riser. "An accelerometer measures vibration and we see how the aircraft responds. In this case, it responded very well, and the PP-1 aircraft completed the initial Ground Vibration Test with no issues."

The aircraft was then flown to Lockheed Martin's Owego, NY, facility for integration of mission systems and installation of the cabin interior. PP-1 will undergo a second ground vibration testing period as a fully missionized aircraft to validate modeling results.

Lockheed Martin Systems Integration-Owego is the prime contractor and systems integrator for the VH-71 program with overall responsibility for the program and aircraft system. AgustaWestland, the principal subcontractor, has responsibility for the basic air vehicle design, production build, and basic air vehicle support functions.

Lockheed was awarded the VH-71 contract in 2005, at a cost of $6 billion for 28 Marine One helos. Since then, program delays and cost overruns have nearly doubled that pricetag, to $11 billion. 

This week, President Obama directed the Department of Defense to conduct a "thorough review" of the program, calling the VH-71 an example of "the procurement process gone amok."

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com/