Presidential Helicopter

Stabilize your stomach and remember Lockheed Martin is the one who so
subtly changed the designation of their helicopter from EH101 to US101.


LM was also a lot more aggressive about using politicians -- Senators
Schumer, Hillary, et al -- to campaign for their aircraft. The New
York Congressional delegation admits it lobbied intensively -- as did
the Italian government -- for the EH101.

Point is, S-92 design authority -- the expertise and legal authority to
make changes -- remains in the US. EH101 design authority on the US101
apparently remains in Italy. Sikorsky pulled sheet metal and composite
work back into Vought because Presidential helo work has long been
performed exclusively in secure facilities by US citizens. Lockheed
Martin is going to have gears, flightcontrols, etc made offshore. That
discards 40-odd years of rigid security requirements just to buy a less
safe aircraft.

Oh, the commercial S-92 fuselage is made in Japan. The tail fin comes
from China.

HW