With the Comanche being cancelled, money has been freed to fund improvements
to the existing airframe. Much of what you mentioned is part of the
DRIVETRAIN 2000 upgrade. Rumor has it, that TADS/PNVS should be fielded
with lot 8 starting late this year. And the "new" LONGBOW RADAR that you
mentioned that will be taken from Comanche....was/is the same RADAR taken
from LONGBOW AH-64D to the RH-66 Comanche. The Program Manager (PM) may
have contracted for improvements, but it is the same RADAR. We already have
a "fly by wire" capability used in emergencies called E-BUCS. As for the
tailrotor improvements...I can't speak to those points. I don't belive
there is any plan for retractable gear, if there is, then that is a mistake
or a trade on crew survivability. I am one of the few people alive that
have survived a crash in a LONGBOW. I can say if I had been in any other
aircraft, I would be dead.

CW4 Ron Carns