Bell ARH-70

Overview:

The Bell ARH-70 is a four-bladed, single-engine, light military helicopter designed for the United States Army's Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) program. With a crew of two and optimized for urban combat, the ARH-70 was slated to replace the Army's aging OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. Excessive delays and growth in program costs forced its cancellation on 16 October 2008, when the Department of Defense failed to certify the program to Congress. The ARH-70 was touted as having been built with off-the-shelf technology; the airframe was based on Bell's commercially successful Bell 407. An Army press release and other media reports occasionally referred to the ARH-70 by the name Arapaho, but the Army never announced it as an official popular name. On February 23, 2004, the U.S. Army announced their decision to cancel the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter program. The program had cost US$6.9 billion and 20 years of development without fielding a production aircraft. The cancellation was a result of a six-month Army study directed by Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker. The study recommended that by cancelling the program before the Comanche reached production, the Army could save US$14 billion which could then be used to update and replace the aging airframes of the current fleet. The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior was targeted by the study for replacement in the active service fleet, based on the age of the airframe, recent losses, and the lack of replacement airframes. The Army developed an armed reconnaissance helicopter concept that would use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology, with a goal of an operational unit of 30 helicopters and eight trainers ready by September 2008. On 9 December 2004, Army officials issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the ARH. Two companies submitted bids The Army's program manager had stated there was no room for delays, but Bell and the Army both eventually agreed that this delay would be essential for maintaining the compressed timeline for development. On 21 February 2007, during its maiden flight, prototype #4 (s/n 53906/N445HR) suffered a loss of engine power, due to fuel starvation, and made an autorotational landing at a nearby golf course. The aircraft was totaled when it rolled over during the landing, but the test pilots survived unhurt. A month later, on 22 March 2007, the Army issued a "Stop Work" notice, giving Bell thirty days to come up with a plan to get the ARH program back on track. Previous estimates for the System Development Demonstration portion of the program had grown from $210 million to over $300 million. Textron, Bell's parent company, notified investors that they could lose $2–4 million on each aircraft under the contract. Bell appealed and received permission to continue development using company funds until the notice was resolved. On 18 May 2007, the Army approved continuation of the ARH program. On 25 July 2007, the House Appropriations Committee’s Defense panel drafted a bill for the 2008 Defense Budget which zeroed out funding for ARH-70 production, citing Bell's inability to enter production, but continued funding for research and development. However, in January 2008, government officials began working on export policy to allow international sales of the ARH-70. Including the U.S. Army's expected total of 512 helicopters, orders were anticipated to total over 1000. The Army filed a Nunn-McCurdy cost and schedule breach on July 9, 2008, when new cost estimates showed a 40% cost increase above initial estimates. In August 2008, the Army requested that Bell cease hiring workers for the ARH-70 program pending the outcome of the Nunn-McCurdy review.

Specifications:

Role

• Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter.

First Flight

• 20 July 2006

Status

• Canceled.

Number Built

• 4 (prototypes).

Crew

• 2 pilots.

Capacity

• 6 passengers.

Length

• 34 ft 8 in (10.57 m).

Height

• 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m).

Empty Weight

• 2,598 lb (1,178 kg).

Loaded Weight

• 5,000 lb (2,268 kg).

Useful Load

• 1,868 lb (847 kg).

Max Takeoff Weight

• 5,000 lb (2,268 kg).

Powerplant

• 1× Honeywell HTS900-2 turboshaft.
• 970 shp (723 kW).

Weapons

• Guns: 1× GAU-19 .50 in Gatling gun.
• Rockets: Hydra 70 2.75 in (70 mm) rockets.