[MMike]

Bell's CEO got turfed yesterday!

To All Bell Helicopter Employees

As you are well aware, Bell Helicopter is at a pivotal point in its growth. There is tremendous opportunity ahead. With the V-22 in full rate production and other key programs on the cusp of blossoming, the prospects for Bell?s future are exciting indeed.

We have generated a lot of customer enthusiasm for our products, which has resulted in increased sales and contracts that bode well for our future. What this means, however, is that we absolutely must step up our capabilities to meet our commitments to our customers in critical areas such as quality, delivery and cost. Now that they?ve placed their trust in us, we must demonstrate that we can deliver consistently and earn their business every day.

The need for more effective operational performance is intensifying in the face of mounting customer demand and a rapidly changing global marketplace. To that end, Mike Redenbaugh and I have agreed that a different set of leadership skills are required to lead Bell Helicopter into its next phase of growth, and Red has decided to resign from the company. In turn, I have chosen to put Dick Millman in place as your new president and CEO, effective immediately.

There are several reasons why I chose Dick for this very important role. As many of you are probably aware, Dick has been leading Textron Systems for many years. For more than two decades, he has been an outstanding leader at Textron. His track record of performance ? on both the growth and operations management sides of the equation, is exemplary. Dick is well experienced with government customers and producing complex finished goods for aerospace and defense applications. He is also an executive who believes in teamwork and people development.

I know that Dick will be communicating with you directly, and I am sure that soon you will come to know him and appreciate his very direct, no-nonsense style and undying commitment to doing the right thing for our customers, employees and shareholders.

Under Mike Redenbaugh?s leadership, Bell Helicopter achieved some major product and program milestones, including moving into full-rate production of the groundbreaking V-22. He reinvigorated customer interest in Bell Helicopter?s products and services, and I would like to personally thank him for his tremendous contribution to the company. Please join me in wishing him the best in the future.



Lewis

 

[MMike]

Being the head of an aerospace company these days is like being the guy in the red shirt on star Trek......

 

[Da Peach]

Sounds like good news!

Ouch that's gotta hurt:

we absolutely must step up our capabilities to meet our commitments to our customers in critical areas such as quality, delivery and cost.

and therefore

that a different set of leadership skills are required

Begs the question of what the hell the guy in charge has been doing all along, and what expensive, crappy helicopters people have been receiving during that last guys reign.

I guess he'll enjoy his massive CEO bonus package one way or the other. I wonder what kind of deal the old CEO is going to get.

 

[valve bouncer]

All your airplane geek type threads are silently appreciated by many members. Please don't take the lack of responses as dis-interest.

 

[stevew]

Do you think Dick is up to the task?

 

[BurlyShirley]

Ospreys are worthless, IMO.

 

[MMike]

All your airplane geek type threads are silently appreciated by many members. Please don't take the lack of responses as dis-interest.

oh thank god! I was developing a complexe


and "Red" had it coming. I've been saying it since the summer....

 

[N8 v2.0]

that's nothing..

have you seen this bit of drama?

 

[MMike]

Ospreys are worthless, IMO.

Many agree with you

V-22 Flaws Called 'Lethal'

 

[BurlyShirley]

Many agree with you

V-22 Flaws Called 'Lethal'

Hahah,

But the center's study, "V-22: Wonder Weapon or Widow Maker?" warns that the hybrid aircraft still has "operational, aerodynamic and survivability challenges that will prove insurmountable, and lethal, in combat."

I remember my first few months in the Marines, we were supposed to get these things going, and that's when the one went down with like 18 or 25 marines on board and they all died of course. Then shortly thereafter another went down and only the pilots died.
I remember the spin afteward saying "the is the safest aircraft ever created in reality. Only 2 crashes in total, whereas teh c-130 had many more, etc. etc."
Eff those things.

 

[MMike]

All the problems arereally holding up the civil version

i was working on the engine...what was SUPPOSED to be the engine for this thing when I was at Pratt and Whitney...in 1997. But it' taken so long the engines have been upgraded many times over.

 

[MMike]

But despite whatever "scientists" say....pffft...what do they know? The military is going to buy ****piles of V-22's, and they will plow into the ground numerous times...and it will be a long time before anyone admits a problem.

Flawed as they are, they are a cool idea.

 

[MMike]

but hoo-doggey are they ugly...

 

[Kihaji]

And what exactly is the selling point of that abomination over the well tested and loved UH-60 Blackhawk again?

 

[MMike]

And what exactly is the selling point of that abomination over the well tested and loved UH-60 Blackhawk again?

Way faster...(almost double)...WAY higher ceiling

I just looked it up

v-22:
Performance

Max speed, SL, kts (km/h) -- 275 (510)
Vert rate of climb, SL, fpm (m/m)
1,090 (332)
Max rate of climb, SL, fpm (m/m)
2,320 (707)
Service ceiling, ft (m) -- 26,000 (7,925)
Service ceiling, one engine inop, ft (m)
11,300 (3,444)
HOGE, ft (m) -- 14,200 (4,328)
Range

Amphib assault, nm (km) -- 515 (954)
Max, self-deployment, nm (km)
2,100 (3,892)



Blackhawk
Max Cruise Speed
4,000 ft; 95°F 152 knots
2,000 ft; 70°F 159 knots
SLS 155 knots
VNE 193 knots
(ISA day) 19,1510 ft
Hover Ceiling MRP-OGE
95°F 7,650 ft
70°F 9,375 ft

 

[Reactor]

but hoo-doggey are they ugly...

Not as ugly as the plane that lost the "JSF" builld-off. It looked like a big mouth bass trying to swallow a pike, while having wings taped on. The X32-B

 

[MMike]

Not as ugly as the pklane that lost the "JSF" builld-off. It looked like a big mouth bass trying to swallow a pike, while having wings taped on. The X32-B

Yep.....that was a homely one. Likey what lost it for Boeing actually. (The Boeing one has some good stuff on it. But a bad-ass fighter just CAN'T look like that.

F-35....no comparison

 

[Reactor]

Yep.....that was a homely one. Likey what lost it for Boeing actually. (The Boeing one has some good stuff on it. But a bad-ass fighter just CAN'T look like that.

Yep, one of the "naval aviators" said there was no way in hell he was going to fly that thing.

 

[MMike]

Does he he sound bitter?

(his farewall words of inspiration)

Message from RED #135:
A time for everything
Team,
For more than three years, I have been proud to be your leader - to have you stand beside me and behind me. I've made it a priority to be open with you, even when it sometimes meant facing issues that none of us really wanted to confront.
I've worked hard, with you, to build solid working relationships, to help stabilize personnel changes and to give you something you could count on. And many of you have expressed your appreciation for me as a leader.
But there is a time for everything - and now it is best for Bell that I move on. We have as a team made remarkable progress. That's something I will always be proud of and that I will always remember. We did it together.
Bell has a bright future, and I'm so thankful and appreciative of the hard work you have all done to get us to this point. Our accomplishments have established the foundation that will help you continue along the path to premier. I believe our strategy is on track, and I know you are working hard to make it a reality.
And I encourage you to support Dick Millman, your new leader. Dick has a strong background in the defense business, and he will do an excellent job leading you to achieving our goals and mission. You have exciting days ahead, but it is a critical time for the organization. You must stay focused on delivering on our commitments to our customers.
I humbly thank you for your support. I will miss you as I move forward to the next challenges for me and my family, and I wish the best for you as employees of Bell and Textron.

Thanks - and best regards, RED

 

[blue]

The V22 is an abortion.

I think my dad engineered some of the avionics on it...He used to work for Raytheon/Moog...and HE thought it was an abortion.

 

[Kihaji]

Way faster...(almost double)...WAY higher ceiling

I just looked it up

v-22:
Performance

Max speed, SL, kts (km/h) -- 275 (510)
Vert rate of climb, SL, fpm (m/m)
1,090 (332)
Max rate of climb, SL, fpm (m/m)
2,320 (707)
Service ceiling, ft (m) -- 26,000 (7,925)
Service ceiling, one engine inop, ft (m)
11,300 (3,444)
HOGE, ft (m) -- 14,200 (4,328)
Range

Amphib assault, nm (km) -- 515 (954)
Max, self-deployment, nm (km)
2,100 (3,892)



Blackhawk
Max Cruise Speed
4,000 ft; 95°F 152 knots
2,000 ft; 70°F 159 knots
SLS 155 knots
VNE 193 knots
(ISA day) 19,1510 ft
Hover Ceiling MRP-OGE
95°F 7,650 ft
70°F 9,375 ft

For the role the V22 supposed to fill, insertion/extraction, the UH-60 is superior. Smaller profile, more options to put people on the ground(I'm not guessing this thing can do the touch and go's like a UH-60, door gunners for insertion/extraction support, and not to mention a lower cost of maintenance.

The V22 sounds like the Bradley of the Marines to me.

 

[MMike]

I dunno. I really know nothing of it.

The V-22 Osprey provides unique capabilities offering:
increased speed because it's twice as fast as a helicopter.
much longer range resulting in greater mission versatility than a helicopter.
multi-mission capability: amphibious assault, combat support, long-range special ops infiltration and exfiltration, transport, search and rescue, medevac, and, in the future, tanker capability.
The V-22 Osprey aircraft:
can transport 24 combat troops or up to 20,000 pounds of internal or external cargo using its medium lift and vertical takeoff and landing capabilities
meets U.S. Navy requirements for combat search and rescue, fleet logistics support, and special warfare support
matches the U.S. Special Operations Command's requirement for a high-speed, long-range, vertical lift aircraft
can be stored aboard an aircraft carrier because the rotors can fold and the wing rotate
has air-to-air refueling capability, the cornerstone of the ability to self-deploy
Boeing is responsible for the fuselage and all subsystems, digital avionics, and fly-by-wire flight-control systems. Boeing partner Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc., is responsible for the wing, transmissions, empennage, rotor systems and engine installation.

The V-22 provides a significant increase in operational range over the legacy systems it will replace and is the only vertical platform capable of rapid self-deployment to any theater of operation worldwide.
http://www.boeing.com/rotorcraft/military/v22/docs/V-22_overview.pdf

 

[MMike]

I found this...

http://www.boeing.com/rotorcraft/military/v22/tilttimes/apr01.pdf

Many do not realize that no viable alternatives
exist. Seventeen studies found that
the V-22 is the cheapest and best choice for
what the Marines and Special Operations
Command seek to do. No helicopter or other
aircraft mix would work. The Blackhawk
UH-60 is an example. The naval version
likely would cost $24 million, compared with
the V-22’s $57 million total cost.
But, it would take two to three times more
Black Hawks to carry the same troops and
equipment as the V-22. This would mean
more aircrews and maintenance personnel.
However, there is not enough room on ships
for more aircraft and people. Additionally,
the Black Hawk cannot self-deploy, which is
what the Special Operations Command
wants.

 

[Kihaji]

I still wouldnt fast rope out of one of those death traps.

 

[rapp]

The Marines don't even use the UH-60, we only got the UH-1, CH-49 and CH-53.

 

[Kihaji]

The Marines don't even use the UH-60, we only got the UH-1, CH-49 and CH-53.

Marines(well, Navy and you are the same thing) have the SH-60 Seahawk, but yeah, for ship borne troops the CH-53 is usually the one they use. But that thing is HUGE. It's almost as big as a HIND-D, if not bigger.

 

[rapp]

The -53 is a monster. I forgot how many air pallets you can fit in there, but it's pretty close to a C-130. And if that thing ain't leaking fluid, there's something wrong. I thought that saying was a joke until I got to ride in a few of them.