AP Impact: New Army Chopper Overheats

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

AP IMPACT: New Army Chopper Overheats

Friday November 9, 2007 8:16 PM

By AARON C. DAVIS

Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - The Army is spending $2.6
billion on hundreds of European-designed helicopters for
homeland security and disaster relief that turn out to
have a crucial flaw: They aren't safe to fly on hot days,
according to an internal report obtained by The
Associated Press.

While the Army scrambles to fix the problem - potentially
adding millions to the taxpayer cost - at least one high-
ranking lawmaker is calling for the whole deal to be
scrapped.

During flight tests in Southern California in mild, 80-
degree weather, cockpit temperatures in the UH-72A
Lakota soared above 104 degrees, the point at which the
Army says the communication, navigation and flight control
systems can overheat and shut down.

No cockpit equipment failed during the nearly 23 hours of
testing, according to the report, prepared for the Army
in July. But it concluded that the aircraft “is not effective
for use in hot environments.”

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-7065016,00.html

[TomInTib]

1. I never went to college...

but evidently there must be a class called Incompetence 101.

And it must be required to get a purchasing job in Government or Defense.