Supplier team
As an America-built solution for the Army's Light Utility Helicopter mission, the UH-72A Lakota utilizes systems, components and hardware from companies located throughout the United States. The following is a partial list of the UH-72A supplier partners:
| Aerolite of Everett,
Washington, is providing the cabin installation for NATO-standard
stretchers used for medical evacuation missions. The company's
retainer mounts were chosen after a "fit-check" competition with
other mounting systems, and were selected for their simple, but
rugged, ergonomic design. Aerolite already has supplied NATO-standard
stretcher installations for numerous civilian emergency medical
service (EMS) operators and police forces. |
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| The UH-72A's crew and passenger seats are manufactured in Phoenix, Arizona by BAE SYSTEMS Mobility and Protection Systems. The helicopter's two energy-absorbing cockpit seats have ergonomic cushions, a 4-point restraint system with an inertia reel and are qualified to the latest FAA crashworthiness specifications. The lightweight cockpit seats use advanced composites, including aramid and graphite materials. Passenger seats for the UH-72A also meet FAA crashworthiness specifications and incorporate a fold-up seat pan. |
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| CAE is designing
and manufacturing the UH-72A Lakota cockpit procedural trainers
(CPTs) for the United States Army. EADS North America is acquiring
the UH72A CPTs to support pilot transition training for the Army’s
next-generation light utility helicopter. CAE is also developing
a UH-72A CPT for American Eurocopter’s training center in
Grand Prairie, Texas. The UH-72A CPTs will be used for procedural,
familiarization, and transition training as the Army begins taking
delivery of the UH-72A. CAE USA based in Tampa, Florida will lead
the design and development of the UH-72A training devices. |
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| Goodrich Corporation
is supplying the UH-72A's externally-mounted rescue electric hoist. This 44301-series hoist is mounted on a boom and support assembly that allows it to be positioned in an arc of up to 63 degrees from the aircraft fuselage centerline for maximum operational flexibility. In addition, the hoist can be stowed in the line with the fuselage during flight.
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| Keith Products
is producing the UH-72A's cabin heating and ventilation systems,
along with the avionics cooling system. The cabin heating and
ventilation system manages the interior temperature for crew and
passengers, while the avionics cooling system ensures proper operating
temperatures for the helicopter's navigation, communications and
mission equipment. Keith Products already supplies these heating,
ventilation and cooling systems as standard equipment for all
civilian EC145 versions of the UH-72A, producing the hardware
at its Addison, Texas headquarters. |
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| The NORDAM Group's Transparency
Division is the supplier of UH-72A windscreens and windows. The
UH-72A design provides unmatched visibility for the helicopter's
crew and passengers, with large multi-piece wraparound front windscreens,
multiple side-fuselage windows on cockpit and passenger doors,
as well as side windows for the main cabin. The NORDAM Group is
one of the largest independently-owned aerospace companies in
the world, and produces the UH-72A transparencies at its Tulsa,
Oklahoma plant. |
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Sagem Avionics, Inc. provides the UH-72A’s Automatic Flight Control Systems (ACFS), which are partially produced at the company’s Grand Prairie, Texas facility. The UH-72A’s Automatic Flight Control System is composed of two Attitude and Heading Reference Systems, APM computers, Smart Electro-Mechanical Actuators, TRIM actuators as well as Fiber Optic Gyros. Sagem Avionics, Inc. already supplies automatic flight control systems for EC145 helicopters used in civilian and special mission roles, as well as for the AS 350, EC120, EC 130, EC135, and EC155 rotary-wing aircraft. Sagem Avionics, Inc. is located adjacent to American Eurocopter’s Grand Prairie headquarters, and it will be moving into much larger neighboring facilities later in 2007 to facilitate UH-72A ACFS production, maintenance and support – as well as to accommodate its overall growing U.S. business volume. Website: http://www.sagemavionics.com/ |
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Sikorsky's UH-72A contractor logistical support is designed to ensure the helicopter will exceed the U.S. Army requirement of 80 percent fully mission capable (FMC), with the company's target set at 90 percent FMC. Included in Sikorsky's responsibilities are maintenance contract management, supply chain management, contractor field teams, spare part and tool management, facilities management and field- and depot-level maintenance. Website: http://www.sikorsky.com |
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| Thales North America's avionics suite
for the UH-72A utilizes proven, commercial equipment that is in
extensive operation on rotary-wing aircraft worldwide. It is based
on the company's MeghasŪ cost-effective, new-generation avionics
suite, which features a glass cockpit with active matrix liquid
crystal displays. The system's centralized vehicle and engine
management display (VEMD) replaces a dozen conventional instruments,
contributing to the avionics suite's reduced cost and low pilot
workload. Meghas already equips the Eurocopter EC145, EC135, EC155,
EC120, EC130 and AS350 helicopters. Production of Meghas for all
these aircraft types, as well as the UH-72A, will be transferred
from Europe to a new Thales USA facility in Irvine, California.
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| Turbomeca USA assembles the
UH-72A's Arriel 1E2 engines at its Grand Prairie, Texas factory.
These reliable turboshaft engines are part of Turbomeca's Arriel
family of powerplants used on rotary-wing aircraft around the
world, including American Eurocopter's HH-65Cs for the U.S. Coast
Guard – which are fitted with Arriel 2C2s. Turbomeca's Grand
Prairie factory is located adjacent to American Eurocopter's U.S.
headquarters, and has recently been expanded to accommodate UH-72A
engine production as well as its growing U.S. business volume.
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| Wulfsberg Electronics provides
the UH-72A’s navigation and communications systems, which
are produced at the company’s Prescott, Arizona facility.
The components for navigation and air traffic control communications
are single VHF communications transceiver with an NVG Control
Display Unit; and a DME transceiver. The UH-72A’s tactical
communications system is composed of an RT-5000 wideband transceiver
with coverage from 29 MHz to 960 MHz and associated C-5000 NVG
Control Display Unit, as well as dual panel mounted P-2000 tactical
communications transceivers. Wulfsberg Electronics already supplies
navigation and communications systems for EC145 helicopters used
in civilian and special mission roles, as well as for the EC135
and EC155 rotary-wing aircraft. |
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