Submitted by the NAVAIR Public Affairs Office

Patuxent River, Md. — The Marine Corps’ newest helicopters, the AH-1Z Super Cobra and UH-1Y Huey, will use Naval Air Station Patuxent River as their principal flight test site, beginning in late 2000.

"We wanted to compare flight testing at Pax River to the original plan which called for testing at the contractor’s facility. Our office requested proposals from Bell Helicopter, Textron, Inc., and Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division," said Navy Capt. Tom Curtis, H-1 program manager (PMA-276, USMC Light/Attack Helicopter Programs). "After evaluating the proposals and conducting an extensive cost/ benefit analysis, we determined that flight testing the AH-1Z and UH-1Y here provided the best value for the H-1 program, the Marine Corps and the Department of the Navy. Testing here allows a higher quality and more efficient flight test program."

"Captain Curtis' decision to flight test the Marine Corps newest helicopters here reflects the success of our customer-focus efforts and the great productivity improvements we’ve made in both engineering and test and evaluation over the last few years," said Rear Adm. Joe Dyer, NAWC-AD commander. "NAVAIR has long been recognized as DOD's lead for helicopter flight testing."

The new AH-1Z attack and UH-1Y utility helicopters are in their final phases of development. The first aircraft to fly are undergoing final assembly and ground testing at the Bell Helicopter, Textron Ft. Worth, TX facility. Bell is the prime contractor for the re-manufacturing program that will revolutionize the existing inventory of Marine Corps AH-1Ws and UH-1Ns into 21st century designs.

The first AH-1Z, referred to as Z1, will launch on its maiden flight at the Bell Helicopter plant in Ft. Worth, TX in the fall of 2000. The first UH-1Y, Y1, and the second Cobra, Z2, are scheduled to be completed in the late fall of 2000. Then the first three aircraft Z1, Z2 and Y1 will be delivered here in early 2001 by U.S. Air Force cargo aircraft. Upon arrival, Y1 and Z2 will conduct their first flights here. The last two test aircraft (Y2 and Z3) will be delivered here for their maiden flights later that year.

Flight testing here affords the program office several ways of increasing the efficiency of the flight test program. First, an integrated flight test team of government and contractor personnel will be formed to conduct the flight test program, said Curtis. Except for final Operational Evaluation (OPEVAL), Operational Testing (OT) will be conducted concurrently with Developmental Testing.

This approach still captures all of the data required during dedicated contractor, DT, and OT testing, while shaving approximately six months off the test schedule. Integrated testing also permits early identification and correction of problems found during the test program. Further, 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 similar reduction in test time by eliminating redundant test flights between the two types of aircraft.

Weapons testing will be conducted at the Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, AZ, while high altitude and hot weather testing will be in a location yet to be determined, said Curtis.Another significant aspect of the H-1 Upgrade test program is the combined Operational Test Team formed from the Navy and Marine Corps test and evaluation units. Currently, VX-9, located at NAWC-Weapons Division, China Lake, has OT responsibility for attack helicopters (AH-1) and HMX-1 at Marine Corps Air Station, Quantico, has the OT responsibility for utility helicopters.In this program, these two units will staff a combined Operational Test Team (also sited at Pax River) to conduct the operational portions of the testing.

"Conducting a combined OPEVAL is more in line with the way the two aircraft are employed in the fleet," said Major Lindy Kirkland, deputy program manager for H-1 upgrades. "The Marine Corps operates both aircraft in the same squadrons, using the same maintainers to work on them, so it makes sense that we should test them like we intend to use them…together."

During the OPEVAL, the AH-1Z and UH-1Y will be evaluated in realistic deployment-type exercises.

The OT team at Pax will fly continuously during DT, Curtis said. During this final test sequence, Marine Corps maintenance personnel will maintain Z3 and Y2. That way, the maintainability and supportability of the helicopters can be realistically evaluated.

A total of five helicopters will be built for the flight test program -- three AH-1Zs, two UH-1Ys and two non-flying test articles (one of each type). The test program should be completed by the summer of 2002.