YGH-17A - Helicopter Prototype No.1

[stevev22fe]

Here she is!!!  Enjoy.

[MiB]

Ehi!! But this my favorite chopper of my life: Blue Thunder!!
In the movies Firefox and Amerika tv-movie, this chopper was painted in black whit a big red star.
Maybe you could painted in woodland or desert camo: this your paint make me doubt...
But what's mean the G in the name: YGH-17? YAH-17 was not better? 

[stevev22fe]

As far as the "G" designator, I have no idea. The Blue Thunder designation was GH-17A.  I kept the designation as the US Army evaluator prototype aircraft.

The better designation would be ARH-17A (Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter).

[Taiidantomcat]

Oh that is smooth!!   

[Sauragnmon]

Not sure about the G in the designator - though I would question the designation as ARH - RAH might be more proper, as in the RAH-66 Commanche - ARH is used for the Tiger, a European chopper.  Secondary missions like Recce are technically ahead of the prime nature of the vehicle, just like any special designator for its flight characteristic goes after.  A couple of examples:

KC-130 (Tanker, Cargo)
AH-64 - (Attack, Helicopter)
RF-4 - (Recce, Fighter)
EA-6 - (Electronic Warfare, Attacker)

That key center designator is pivotal to the core nature of the airframe I think - is it a Bomber, is it a Load Lifter, is it a Fighter, is it an Attacker, etc.  It helps define core characteristics of what the airframe's design centers around.


Still, the whole project is just Wicked, in truth. Seriosuly cool work there man.

[stevev22fe]

Yea, your right.

What I find interesting this the H-17 designation. The H-17 was the Hughes Sky Crane.

Let's see....Blue Thunder came out in 1983??? So, the LHX was well underway that led to the RAH-66 so what would be the correct designation for that time?

Let's see......

AH-56 Cheyenne
H-57 - Not Assigned?
OH-58 Kiowa
H-59 - Not Assigned?
H-60 Blackhawk
H-61 - UTTAS Boeing Prototype?
H-63 Bell Prototype
H-64 Apache
H-65 - Not assigned?
H-66 Comanche
H-67 Creek (Trainer)
H-68 - Not assigned?
H-69 - Not assigned?
H-70 Arapaho (ARH prototype)
H-71 (US101 Presidential Helo)
H-72 Lakota

[Sauragnmon]

Being that LHX was underway at the time, I would guess that you're looking potentially at the H-65 designation.  Alternately, H-59 would be the other choice - you could go up the other direction to 68 ostensibly.

Those are the two I would suggest most likely.

[stevev22fe]

I just looked up the H-59 and it was the Sikorsky Advancing Blade Concept demonstrator (XH-59)

So that's out. I am leaning toward the RAH-68

[Just call me Ray]

H-57 assigned to Navy Bell 206 designated Sea Ranger.

[Brian da Basher]

That's one real sharp, clean helo there stevev!

Brian da Basher

[famvburg]

     I always thought it was CH rather than GH. Wasn't the Aerosptiale Dauphin designated H-65 by '83? For the nitpickers, hey, it's a movie.........

Yea, your right.

What I find interesting this the H-17 designation. The H-17 was the Hughes Sky Crane.

Let's see....Blue Thunder came out in 1983??? So, the LHX was well underway that led to the RAH-66 so what would be the correct designation for that time?

Let's see......

AH-56 Cheyenne
H-57 - Not Assigned?
OH-58 Kiowa
H-59 - Not Assigned?
H-60 Blackhawk
H-61 - UTTAS Boeing Prototype?
H-63 Bell Prototype
H-64 Apache
H-65 - Not assigned?
H-66 Comanche
H-67 Creek (Trainer)
H-68 - Not assigned?
H-69 - Not assigned?
H-70 Arapaho (ARH prototype)
H-71 (US101 Presidential Helo)
H-72 Lakota

[stevev22fe]

H-68 has been taken.....

From the definitive designation-systems.net website

"H-69
When the VH-71A designation was assigned to the Lockheed Martin US-101 (winner of the VXX (Presidential Helicopter) competition), the design numbers 69 and 70 in the H-series were skipped (H-70 has since been allocated to the Bell ARH). As has been confirmed by the VXX Program Office, the number "69" was regarded as embarrassing, because that number is also known as a synonym for a certain sexual practice. According to USAF/XPPE, H-69 will not be assigned in the future to any helicopter.

Next Number
The next available design number in the H-series is H-73."


Since 69 will never be used......I am thinking the "OH-69A Acoma Scout"

[Sauragnmon]

I have to find irony that you're using OH-68, considering very much the Blue Thunder strikes me as a suitable replacement for the Kiowa, which has both observer and attack roles, as the Kiowa Warrior.