#Huey helicopter top speed series

The nose mounts sensor turret blister housing a FLIR Star Safire 350HDc high-definition, full-color electro-optical/IR ball. The undercarriage is wheeled at all three legs and fully retractable. Over the starboard side of the fuselage (at the passenger sliding door) can also be installed a rescue hoist for Search and Rescue (SAR) sorties or a cargo winch for cargo-hauling missions. The cabin can be configured for cargo or passengers as needed - seating fifteen in the latter. These are purposely placed so as not to obstruct passenger entry/exit.

There is a position between the pilot seats and passenger area to fit optional pintle-mounted armament for fire suppression by way of machine guns. The passenger cabin is relatively spacious and features large rectangular rear-sliding doors for easy entry/exit of passengers and the high position of both the main rotor and tail rotor add safety for embarking/disembarking passengers. Vision out-of-the-cockpit is excellent thanks to the proven AW139's design spanning over 1.7 million flight hours in various environments worldwide.

Digital color displays dominate the two positions with a shared console in-between. The platform makes use of a two-man crew seated (side-by-side) in an all-modern, all-glass cockpit. Outwardly, the MH-139 is a sleek offering the inherent benefits of the existing AW139 with the benefits of Boeing-installed mission equipment. The Boeing offering is helped some by the fact that the Italian helicopter is already produced locally in the United States out of Philadelphia. Like the Twin Huey, the AW139 has been adopted by a large collection of operators around the world including several American police agencies.

#Huey helicopter top speed series

The AW139 framework promotes a robust, reliable and proven rotary-wing platform that has seen production top nearly 800 examples since series introduction occurred in 2003. At any rate, replacing this proven warrior is a tall order for any interested company. The USAF uses these mounts for local security at high-level installations and as VIP transports.

The Twin Huey was debuted in 1970 and is in service with a plethora of global operators beyond the United States. However, its design is rooted in Cold War-era doctrine which has required the series to receive regular modernizations to keep the series viable for the short-term - a long-term solution by the USAF is now sought. The UH-1N (Model 212 is its civilian market equivalent) is a twin-engined model of the original Vietnam-era single-engined Huey transport / gunship. It is intended to compete in the newly-announced United States Air Force's UH-1N 'Twin Huey' Replacement Program. The MH-139 is a Boeing-modified version of the successful Italian-originated AW139 series of medium-lift helicopters produced by Leonardo.