Osama raid helicopter - Identify this part

[ShredderXLE]

This is supposed to be part of the wreckage from the helicopter that crashed and was then blown up by the special forces team during the Osama raid.

Any ideas....it definitely does not look like any part of a pave / blackhawk that I have seen before?

[eccles]

looks like the tail rotor and empennage.

[KieronGSi]

It doesn't look like a black/pavehawk tail rotor.

[ShredderXLE]

eccles said:

looks like the tail rotor and empennage.

Of what though?

Edit to add that Im not one of these conspiracy nutters, but I dont recognise what it might be from.

Edited by ShredderXLE on Tuesday 3rd May 18:30

[anonymous-user]

That whole enclose hub affair looks a little Commanche-ish, but there's no outer shroud and the actual blades look a little odd.
Bit weird. Are you sure it's from the OBL raid?
Eric will be along soon enough.....

[tank slapper]

I was wondering if it might be off an MH-6 but it doesn't look quite right for that, and it would be a bit small for carrying troops.

[GrahamG]

Not the tail rotor - there are other pics of that at the crash site and they do look like a Pave Hawk

[ShredderXLE]

[quote=Crossflow Kid]looks a little Commanche-ish,[quote]


Thats what I thought, something a bit stealthy looking.

Its definitely not an MD-500 or Oh-58 either.

[GrahamG]

tank slapper said:

I was wondering if it might be off an MH-6 but it doesn't look quite right for that, and it would be a bit small for carrying troops.

But ideal for inserting a small raiding party inside a walled compound!!

[mybrainhurts]

It's the strimmer attachment...

If it turned out not to be Bin Laden, they were going to trim the lawn by way of apology...

[anonymous-user]

GrahamG said:

Not the tail rotor - there are other pics of that at the crash site and they do look like a Pave Hawk

So if it's not the tail rotor what is it then?
Can't be the main rotor as it's not attached to a fuselage but more of a tail pylon.
Other photos show a t-tail, so maybe it's a <Something>hawk with some funky new semi-silenced tail rotor, since they're notorious for being the noisiest thing on the aircraft.

[anonymous-user]

Crossflow Kid said:

GrahamG said:

Not the tail rotor - there are other pics of that at the crash site and they do look like a Pave Hawk

So if it's not the tail rotor what is it then?
Can't be the main rotor as it's not attached to a fuselage but more of a tail pylon.
Other photos show a t-tail, so maybe it's a <Something>hawk with some funky new semi-silenced tail rotor, since they're notorious for being the noisiest thing on the aircraft.

Due to the nature of the operation, I would say that the cover is probably more of a protection against incoming fire, rather than a silencer (although this could be a secondary application) as the components holding/controlling the tail rotor together are susceptible to small arms. i.e tiny control rods etc. Googling heavily, and can't for the life of me think what it is.

[ShredderXLE]

I wonder if there is a chance that this may have been some disposable uav chopper that tries to land, gets shot to bits, the beardies come out to inspect what they have brought down and then the nearby gunships arrive and open up.

The whole tail unit is a completely different shape to the normal blackhawk derived helicopters - unless its some new stealthier clothes for it.

[Mojocvh]

MH-60 Sea Hawk

[Roberty]

Maybe some sort of Black-Ops Stealthy version of the Blackhawk that we (The General Public)are not aware of, hence why they blew the thing up rather than recovering it.




The Comanche never got past the Prototype stage, I remember seeing one at Farnborough once.

I really don't think they are secretly using them, why show it publicly then turn it black? Black projects usually go the other way! secret development and early deployment then publicly disclosed later.

[eccles]

Extra special forces high speed repelling winch thingy. Action man jumps out, fan spins round like an air brake to slow his descent....... maybe.

[anonymous-user]

bulldong said:

Crossflow Kid said:

GrahamG said:

Not the tail rotor - there are other pics of that at the crash site and they do look like a Pave Hawk

So if it's not the tail rotor what is it then?
Can't be the main rotor as it's not attached to a fuselage but more of a tail pylon.
Other photos show a t-tail, so maybe it's a <Something>hawk with some funky new semi-silenced tail rotor, since they're notorious for being the noisiest thing on the aircraft.

Due to the nature of the operation, I would say that the cover is probably more of a protection against incoming fire, rather than a silencer (although this could be a secondary application) as the components holding/controlling the tail rotor together are susceptible to small arms. i.e tiny control rods etc. Googling heavily, and can't for the life of me think what it is.

Never, ever heard of armour-plated rotor hubs. They're usually pretty solid chunks of metal all bolted together, and armour plating the hub would do little to protect the control rods - they go up the tail rotor pylon and are invariably made of titanium or similar to make them ballistic resistant.
UAV perhaps?

[anonymous-user]

Roberty said:

The Comanche never got past the Prototype stage, I remember seeing one at Farnborough once.

I really don't think they are secretly using them, why show it publicly then turn it black? Black projects usually go the other way! secret development and early deployment then publicly disclosed later.

I never said it was a Comanche, just Comanche-ish.

[eccles]

Crossflow Kid said:

bulldong said:

Crossflow Kid said:

GrahamG said:

Not the tail rotor - there are other pics of that at the crash site and they do look like a Pave Hawk

So if it's not the tail rotor what is it then?
Can't be the main rotor as it's not attached to a fuselage but more of a tail pylon.
Other photos show a t-tail, so maybe it's a <Something>hawk with some funky new semi-silenced tail rotor, since they're notorious for being the noisiest thing on the aircraft.

Due to the nature of the operation, I would say that the cover is probably more of a protection against incoming fire, rather than a silencer (although this could be a secondary application) as the components holding/controlling the tail rotor together are susceptible to small arms. i.e tiny control rods etc. Googling heavily, and can't for the life of me think what it is.

Never, ever heard of armour-plated rotor hubs. They're usually pretty solid chunks of metal all bolted together, and armour plating the hub would do little to protect the control rods - they go up the tail rotor pylon and are invariably made of titanium or similar to make them ballistic resistant.
UAV perhaps?

Funny that, the control rods on the helicopter I work on are very thin wall alloy tube....Parts of the main rotor head are made from ESR (electro slag remelt) for ballistic resistance.

[rufusgti]

Im interested in the story of the crashed chopper. The news seems to have gone quiet on it. What actually happened? Would we suspect a full brief on how it unfolded or would this usualy be kept secret?

Today I heard Obama whatched it live from one of the soldiers headcams. Simply amazing.