I know the President needs a helicopter, but Jesus, TWENTY-EIGHT of them?

[Redstone]

I've been following the controversy about the new presidential-helicopter contract battle (for business reasons), and was astounded enough to read that the contract was for 19 helicopters. But TWENTY-EIGHT of them?

Why?

Redstone

[Fridays Child]

1. Economic stimulus?

I hope they're built 100% in the United States.

[librechik]

2. They aren's for O--they are for visiting dignitaries and

and spoiled congresscritters to get a joy ride in "The Presidential Helicopter."

Why do we need these? IMO we don't.

They just need to pay off the Italians for forging the yellow cake documents. Can't exactly do that on the books...

[Redstone]

5. Ah, so you're familiar with the situation...why else would the A101 get chosen, instead of

a Sikorsky helicopter? I think you're on to somethig there, and I hadn't thought of it myself.

Redstone

[Stephanie]

3. It was a boondoggle in exchange for the forged Niger yellowcake documents

Did you see the other thread? It's around here someplace. The contract was a BRIBE to Berlusconi for providing the (phony) justification for invading Iraq.

[mtnester]

4. It was a reward to Italy from the previous resident

for their lovely forgery

There is a thread somehwere on here about it, the no-bid bypass, and the safety concerns that experts have on them.

Previous resident did this.

[Redstone]

6. Why didn't I figure this out? You guys are smarter than I am; I never got that connection.

Redstone

[Squatch]

11. The new helicopter contract was furiously bid on by multiple contractors

Ultimately the contract went to LMCO in Owego, NY. Judging by the absence of protests following contract award, the process was probably pretty fair.

[eppur_se_muova]

7. There are supposed to be three waiting wherever the POTUS goes ...

but even for a trip with six stops, that's only 18. Apparently, the Pentagon just asks for all they can get. And who was POTUS when the request was made, hmmm ?

[Redstone]

8. Three of them? At every stop? Christ, if they're THAT unreliable, he should drive instead.

Redstone

[damntexdem]

10. Think about security.

No sense in making it clear which chopper will be used at a particular stop.

[Redstone]

15. Oops. I hadn't thought of that.

Redstone

[damntexdem]

9. Are you suggesting that we need a -- chopper chopper?

;-)

[eppur_se_muova]

14. Or a couple of C5's to ferry the choppers around -- half a dozen should do it.

I'm sure Cheney would approve.

[Redstone]

16. I think they'd fit in a C-17, actually. More reliable, and less fuel burn.

Redstone

[eppur_se_muova]

18. A C-5 can carry three helicpoters ... maybe not this model.

The C-5 features a cargo compartment 121 feet long, 13.5 feet high, and 19 feet wide (37 m by 4.1 m by 5.8 m), or just over 31,000 ft³ (880 m³). The compartment can accommodate up to 36 463L master pallets or a mix of palletized cargo and vehicles. The cargo hold of the C-5 is actually a foot longer than the length of the first powered flight by the Wright Brothers' flyer at Kitty Hawk. The nose and aft doors open the full width and height of the cargo compartment to permit faster and easier loading. Ramps are full width at each end for loading double rows of vehicles. The volume of unusable space in a C-5's tail assembly (aft of the ramp) is larger than the available cargo space of a C-130 Hercules.<9>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C5A_Galaxy

Foolishly OT, really, but Dayyum, that is a big plane! :)

OTOH, the POTUS already has a C17 in his entourage :wow::

A C-17 also accompanies the President of the United States on his visits to both domestic and foreign arrangements, consultations, and meetings. The C-17 is used to transport the Presidential Limousine and security detachments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-17_Globemaster_III

JOOC, does your username have any connection to Redstone Arsenal, or the Redstone missile?

[Redstone]

19. No connection to the arsenal or the missile; it's my name. Though I did work on many military

programs when I was in the electronics business, including the ALQ-99 jammer pod, HAVE QUICK, PAVE LOW, HAVE BLUE, and others I can't discuss.

Redstone

[FarCenter]

12. produced by AgustaWestland, a unit of Finmeccanica SpA

The Lockheed aircraft is based on the design of the EH101 helicopter produced by AgustaWestland, a unit of Finmeccanica SpA of Italy. Textron Inc.’s Bell Helicopter unit is a major subcontractor.

from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aRYIaLv9zLfk&refer=home

[cliffordu]

17. I thought that said "Finnemucca" like Winnemucca....

[Botany]

13. For security reasons they need many choppers

as for getting them from Italy that has to do w/
paying some people back for some forged letters.