By John C. Milliman, H-1 Public Affairs Officer

NAVAIR PATUXENT RIVER, MD – Following a five-month tear down, the first AH-1W Reuse and Modification Kit left the Naval Aviation Depot at Cherry Point, NC Sept. 27 to complete the second half of its transformation into the Marine Corps’ newest attack helicopter, the AH-1Z, at Bell Helicopter’s Amarillo, TX production facility.

One of three AH-1Zs and six UH-1Ys in the H-1 Upgrades Program first Low-Rate Initial Production Lot, the aircraft is scheduled to emerge from the Bell plant as a fully remanufactured AH-1Z in approximately 20 months.

“The smooth and efficient tear-down and shipment of this first production kit from NAVAIR Cherry Point is a direct result of the hard work and professionalism of the Cherry Point artisans,” explained Col. David Smith, H-1 deputy program manager for Production here. “The cooperation already taking place between Bell, the program office, the Type Commanders and NAVAIR Cherry Point tells me this remanufacture effort will be a success.

“One Team, One Fight?” he added. “We’re there!”

The first aircraft to be processed as a production AH-1Z was originally delivered to the Marine Corps in March 1978 as an AH-1T Sea Cobra. The aircraft subsequently was modified to the AH-1W Super Cobra standard and had accrued 2,371 flights hours by the time it was inducted in April.

Before being rebuilt at Amarillo as AH-1Zs, inducted AH-1Ws first have to be stripped down to the basic airframe by the depot artisans at Cherry Point working closely with Bell representatives to ensure kits delivered to Amarillo meet production requirements. Cockpits, engines, transmissions and gearboxes, stub wings and tail booms are removed and what’s left is rebuilt as necessary. Some of the removed items, such as the GE T700 engines, are part of the kit and will be reused.

Approximately 60 percent of the original AH-1W comprises the kit sent to Amarillo.

Of the remaining 40 percent, parts will either be reconditioned as necessary and put back into the inventory to support the fielded fleet of AH-1Ws currently deployed around the world or, if not up to specifications for re-issue, will be disposed of in accordance with established policies, according to program officials.

The first of six UH-1Y kits in LRIP Lot One is scheduled to ship from Cherry Point in October.

Only 18 percent of each UH-1N inducted for the remanufacture process is reused in the UH-1Y. As with the AH-1W, the other 82 percent is either being reissued to the Fleet as spare parts or disposed of in accordance with established procedures.

To date, the H-1 Upgrades integrated test team has achieved approximately 2,500 flight test hours with five aircraft (three AH-1Z and two UH-1Y test aircraft, of which all but one AH-1Z are production representative). The test aircraft have flown 222 knots, maneuvered from –0.4 to +3.5 g’s and been well above the 10,000-foot altitude mark. In weapons testing, the AH-1Z has fired nearly 800 Mk-66 2.75” rockets at air speeds ranging from 60 to 200 knots, five AGM-114 “Hellfire” anti-armor missiles, three AIM-9 “Sidewinder” air-to-air missiles and approximately 3,000 rounds of 20mm ammunition from its M-197 automatic gun. The UH-1Y has successfully fired approximately 400 2.75-inch rockets, 12,800 rounds of machine gun ammunition, 136 flares, 104 chaff canisters and 104 decoys on nearly 40 test flights.

With integration of new technology, such as the Thales Top Owl helmet-mounted sight and display, Northrop-Grumman integrated digital cockpit, upgraded engines and Bell Helicopter-developed composite four-bladed rotor system nearly complete, the program is rapidly approaching the end of its developmental flight test period.

Following a successful six-month operational evaluation by Fleet pilots and crews, the program is expecting to be approved for full-rate production.

The aircraft was approved for low rate initial production in October 2003.

For more information, please contact the H-1 public affairs officer, John Milliman, at (301) 995-7410 or [email protected]

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(loading.jpg) The first production AH-1Z Reuse Kit to be produced by the Naval Aviation Depot at Cherry Point, NC leaves for Amarillo, Texas Sept. 27 where it will be remanufactured into an AH-1Z. 60 percent of the original aircraft is in the kit. The finished product, the first production AH-1Z, is expected to leave the Bell plant in March 2006.

(kitting.jpg) Artisans at the Naval Aviation Depot, Cherry Point, NC, tear an AH-1W Super Cobra during a five-month effort to produce an AH-1Z reuse and modification kit. The kit left for Amarillo, Texas Sept. 27 where it will be remanufactured into an AH-1Z. 60 percent of the original aircraft is in the kit. The finished product, the first production AH-1Z, is expected to leave the Bell plant in March 2006.