Super secret helicopter?

[goof2]

This is a conspiracy I can get on board with. This is a picture of the tail of the helicopter that was destroyed in Bin Laden's compound. It doesn't look like anything from any Blackhawk I've ever seen.

[tallywacker]

Honestly it looks MH-60 with some further modifications we don't know about. Pretty interesting.

[derf]

yup, looks like a new helicopter or at least a highly modified blackhawk. The media around this has it pegged as teh reason that they were able to evade pakistani radar, rather than the flying through dead spots.

[Avatard]

Nannnnh. That's just OBL's amplified HDTV antenna...

[tallywacker]

yup, looks like a new helicopter or at least a highly modified blackhawk. The media around this has it pegged as teh reason that they were able to evade pakistani radar, rather than the flying through dead spots.

Yeah those ultra stealth chinooks they used as well were invisible...

[derf]

http://cencio4.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/mh-x4-new.jpg

An expert in helicopter aviation drew up this rendering based on the tail section, really everything except the tail section is completely a fabrication of his mind, but it still gives you an idea of what it could look like.


http://images.defensetech.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sikorsky-stealthhawk-profil.jpg

and another stealth helo

http://www.minihelicopter.net/RAH66Comanche/RAH-66%20Comanche.jpg

[Particle Man]

Now I have the theme to "Airwolf" running through my head. Over and over and over...

[derf]

Yeah those ultra stealth chinooks they used as well were invisible...

how do you know they were chinooks? So far I have not seen definative proof of any specific helicopter, all we know is that 4 went in and 3 came out. You can fit 11 people in a standard blackhawk with seats installed, you can fit more than 20 in an emergency.

[Adeptus_Minor]

Now I have the theme to "Airwolf" running through my head. Over and over and over...

You mean it isn't always doing that? Maybe it's just me... :lol:

[Razor]

Helicopters dont need to be stealth to avoid RADAR, they just need to fly low, which happens to be what they are good at. Even some fixed wings (primarily C-130 variants practice NVG flying at 200-500 feet in other than flat terrain to utilize the fact that RADAR doesn't give 100% percent coverage. Not sure what the terrain around the villa was, but I do know that most ways leading into Pakistan from Afganistan are relatively mountainous and would be "training as usual' for 60 drivers, espicially if they happened to be from one of the units such as the 160th SOAR...

[Particle Man]

You mean it isn't always doing that? Maybe it's just me... :lol:
:lol:

[derf]

Helicopters dont need to be stealth to avoid RADAR, they just need to fly low, which happens to be what they are good at. Even some fixed wings (primarily C-130 variants practice NVG flying at 200-500 feet in other than flat terrain to utilize the fact that RADAR doesn't give 100% percent coverage. Not sure what the terrain around the villa was, but I do know that most ways leading into Pakistan from Afganistan are relatively mountainous and would be "training as usual' for 60 drivers, espicially if they happened to be from one of the units such as the 160th SOAR...

If they came in from the northwestthey would have flown through mountain ranges that reach between 7000 and 10000 ft which is well under its 20k ft service limit. Most of the valleys they would have flown through are fairly populous. If they came in from the southeast then they would have flown over plains, fairly flat, and slightly more populated than the north,but with plenty of farmland.

But stealth for a helicopter is more than just being able to see it with radar, flying a dark colored aircraft at night will prevent any visual identification, plus they are loud, and I would be willing to bet that many of the modification that would be made to a stealth helicopter include making it quiet so it can fly low without being heard.

[smileyman]

Buuhh buhp buhp bah
buhp buhp buhp bah
buhp buhp bah bah bah ba buhp buhp bah


WHAAAAAAAAAAA.

Stringfellow to Arch Angel, Dominick has got gas...Again.

[AquaPython]

I didn't know this was a conspiracy, but rather accepted as fact. a top secret modified version of the ah-60, costing upwards of $90M.

one conspiracy i did hear is that the marines left the helo there on purpose. That is their "calling card" and serves as proof that it was indeed the US (namely the marines) that did this, and no one else. They have a history of leaving helicopters at the scene. Also, convenient that nobody got hurt from that chopper... when they fucking crash landed it! Shit, for 90 mil a pop, they better not be "stalling out" on light duty.

[Trip]

It was the navy seals, not the marines.

[derf]

Also, convenient that nobody got hurt from that chopper... when they fucking crash landed it!


The only people in it at the time it crashed were probably the pilot, copilot, and one or two crew chiefs.

The Seals probably fast roped down instead of putting the helicopter in more danger at the start of an OP when there is an unknown number of badguys and weapons available to them than trying to land in what looks to be a fairly confined space. Retrieveing the seals and bin laden would have been much safer because they would at that point know who is left and what and if they have any weapons.

[Archren]

It was the navy seals, not the marines.

As it turns out.. it was an Army aviation unit.

http://battleland.blogs.time.com/2011/05/06/president-thanks-seal-drivers-of-task-force-160-today/

The article mentions they fly BlackHawks.. but I'm willing to bet they're not your garden-variety BlackHawks.

The 160th SOAR's Page: http://www.campbell.army.mil/units/160thSOAR/Pages/160thSOAR.aspx

And their recruiting video (where "modified helicopters" is one of the captions): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxeiG8IGN1c

I'm sure whatever special modifications they have aren't shown publicly for a reason.

[smileyman]

Much ado over nothing...We have far more capable and still unknown hardware about I am sure. Even if the Chinese got it they wouldnt know what to do with it for another decade or so...

And as for the SEALS? It was Osama. They would have gotten there one way or another even if they had to dig their way across the border...

[EpyonXero]

Much ado over nothing...We have far more capable and still unknown hardware about I am sure. Even if the Chinese got it they wouldnt know what to do with it for another decade or so...

And as for the SEALS? It was Osama. They would have gotten there one way or another even if they had to dig their way across the border...

Meet China's new stealth fighter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAAwHsinqV0

[defector]

(I know it isn't a helicopter), but I live near an Air Force base, and they had some new? F35's (so I am told) out there. Those things are fast as hell and pretty damn quiet from what I could see.

[derf]

Meet China's new stealth fighter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAAwHsinqV0

I wouldnt put much stock in Chinas 5th gen fighter, from what I've seen most experts believe that their first attempt at a 5th gen fighter is probably a 4th gen fighter with a really cool body kit. It also looks like they lack the ability to replicate Russian 5th gen radar reflective materials, and engines. They are expected to be using a 20 year old engine design in this model, which would struggle to be competative with our 4th gen fighters. This aircraft, from what people are reporting should be slightly less capable than our f-14, f-15, f-16 and f-18.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8241968/Chinas-J-20-stealth-fighter-design-is-25-years-old.html

[Dave]

I wouldnt put much stock in Chinas 5th gen fighter, from what I've seen most experts believe that their first attempt at a 5th gen fighter is probably a 4th gen fighter with a really cool body kit. It also looks like they lack the ability to replicate Russian 5th gen radar reflective materials, and engines. They are expected to be using a 20 year old engine design in this model, which would struggle to be competative with our 4th gen fighters. This aircraft, from what people are reporting should be slightly less capable than our f-14, f-15, f-16 and f-18.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8241968/Chinas-J-20-stealth-fighter-design-is-25-years-old.html

Its no pak-fa that's for sure

[smileyman]

Yeah I got kinda excited when I saw the new J Bird. But most sources claim it is to the F22 and 35 what the Hyosung 650 is to the Duc 1198R.

[zerioustt]

(I know it isn't a helicopter), but I live near an Air Force base, and they had some new? F35's (so I am told) out there. Those things are fast as hell and pretty damn quiet from what I could see.

:lol

[Dave]

I wouldnt put much stock in Chinas 5th gen fighter, from what I've seen most experts believe that their first attempt at a 5th gen fighter is probably a 4th gen fighter with a really cool body kit. It also looks like they lack the ability to replicate Russian 5th gen radar reflective materials, and engines. They are expected to be using a 20 year old engine design in this model, which would struggle to be competative with our 4th gen fighters. This aircraft, from what people are reporting should be slightly less capable than our f-14, f-15, f-16 and f-18.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8241968/Chinas-J-20-stealth-fighter-design-is-25-years-old.html

Hey fred, the best part of that link is that the analyst being interviewed made a joke about it looking like the firefox and the interviewer took him literally

[defector]

:lol
I see what you did there.

[derf]

:lol

Hahahaha so true. Thank you for pointing that out, thats awesome.

Yeah I got kinda excited when I saw the new J Bird. But most sources claim it is to the F22 and 35 what the Hyosung 650 is to the Duc 1198R.

And there, that is the perfect analogy. Although you might want to go back and edit that to say Hyosung 250

[pauldun170]

I wouldnt put much stock in Chinas 5th gen fighter, from what I've seen most experts believe that their first attempt at a 5th gen fighter is probably a 4th gen fighter with a really cool body kit. It also looks like they lack the ability to replicate Russian 5th gen radar reflective materials, and engines. They are expected to be using a 20 year old engine design in this model, which would struggle to be competative with our 4th gen fighters. This aircraft, from what people are reporting should be slightly less capable than our f-14, f-15, f-16 and f-18.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8241968/Chinas-J-20-stealth-fighter-design-is-25-years-old.html

Its not a fighter...
They cant figure out how to make a decent engine to put in the damn thing..
Will probably make an ok bomb truck....if they let someone else finish the development work on the engines, avionics and structure.

[Particle Man]

I used to live in the approach path of an AFB - C-5's and B-52's flying over at like 100 feet suck when you're trying to sleep off a hangover :lol:

I used to sleep right through the KC-135R's though :)

[Dave]

I used to live in the approach path of an AFB - C-5's and B-52's flying over at like 100 feet suck when you're trying to sleep off a hangover :lol:

I used to sleep right through the KC-135R's though :)

I remember sleeping on the fender of my tank on the boresight line at brookhaven range while other tanks were firing not fifty feet away in bp1. Your body will do what its gotta do

[Dave]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns5NJVa_XKo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I used to be able to sleep through the hydraulic pump whine too :lol: vic wonders why I'm deaf.

This kids quick but I used to be faster. Id chalk that up more to the style though. Over the shoulder flip beats the turn style any day

[Rangerscott]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns5NJVa_XKo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I used to be able to sleep through the hydraulic pump whine too :lol: vic wonders why I'm deaf.

This kids quick but I used to be faster. Id chalk that up more to the style though. Over the shoulder flip beats the turn style any day

Dumb question time. Is it firing the casing too because what's falling out doesn't look like a whole casing?

[TommyHotWheel]

I used to live in the approach path of an AFB - C-5's and B-52's flying over at like 100 feet suck when you're trying to sleep off a hangover :lol:

I used to sleep right through the KC-135R's though :)

I lived directly under the approach path of NAS Oceana and loved hearing and feeling the planes come down over us.

[Dave]

Dumb question time. Is it firing the casing too because what's falling out doesn't look like a whole casing?

Yup

On the 120 the casing material burns up when its fired. The metal aftcap is all you get back. Much less junk cluttering the turret that way