AH-1Z flight tests continue expanding flight envelope

April 10, 2001

Submitted by TEAM Public Affairs, Headquarters

AH-1Z aircraft number 1, Zulu 1, the Marine Corps' newest attack helicopter recently arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River to continue the flight test program begun last December at Bell Helicopter Textron's Flight Research and Test facility in Arlington, Texas.

Zulu 1, arrived here in an Air Force Reserve Command C-5 from the 439th Squadron, Massachusetts Air National Guard. Zulu 1 completed Phase I of development testing having flown a total of 59.9 flight hours. It also successfully completed harmonic vibration testing with 80 (72 Priority 1 and 8 Priority 2) different configurations of ordnance loaded on its weapon's stations.

Three government and three company test pilots, all part of the H-1 Upgrades integrated flight test team (ITT), will begin Phase II of development testing at Patuxent River to continue expanding the flight envelope this month. This integration of the government and contractor flight test teams, with early operational test involvement, keeps flight test efficient, affordable and allows problems to be identified earlier and corrected before the helicopters go into OPEVAL.

This approach still captures all of the data required during dedicated contractor, DT, and OT testing, while embracing the acquisition reform initiatives to streamline testing. By taking advantage of the fact that the AH-1Z and UH-1Y share more than 85 percent of their mechanical and avionics components, linking the AH?1Z and UH?1Y testing allows a reduction in test time by eliminating redundant test flights between the two types of aircraft.

A total of five helicopters will be built for the flight test program - three AH-1Zs, two UH-1Ys, as well as two non-flying test articles (one of each type). Zulu 2 and 3 and Yankee 1 and 2 are scheduled to arrive here later this year. The EMD flight test program will complete by the summer of 2003 with OPEVAL scheduled to start that fall.

Zulu 1 will be on display during the Patuxent River Air Show May 26 and 27.