Boeing MH-139

The history of the Boeing MH-139

The MH-139 is a Boeing modification of the successful AW139 series of medium helicopters of Italian origin built by Leonardo. It plans to participate in the USAF's newly announced UH-1N "Twin Huey" replacement program. The UH-1N (Type 212 is its civilian equivalent) is a twin-engine model of the original Vietnamese-era single-engine transport/gunboat Huey.

However, its design was rooted in Cold War-era theories that the series needed to be modernized on a regular basis to keep the series viable in the short terma long-term solution the USAF was looking for.

The Twin Huey was introduced in 1970 and is in service with various global operators outside the US. The U.S. Air Force uses these mounts for local security and VIP transportation at high-level facilities.

In any case, replacing this tried-and-true fighter is a big challenge for any interested company.

The AW139 frame promotes a robust, reliable and proven rotor platform with over 800 examples produced since it entered series production in 2003. Like Twin Huey, AW139 has been adopted by a large number of operators around the world, including several US law enforcement agencies.

Supporting Boeing's bid is the fact that the Italian helicopter is already produced locally in Philadelphia.

Externally, the MH-139 is an elegant model that offers the inherent advantages of the existing AW139 and the advantages of Boeing-installed mission equipment. The platform uses two crew members (side-by-side) to sit in a state-of-the-art all-glass cockpit.

Digital color displays dominate both positions, with a shared console in the middle. Thanks to the proven AW139 design, visibility outside the cockpit is excellent, with more than 1.7 million flight hours in a variety of environments around the world.

The cabin is relatively spacious, with a large rectangular rear sliding door, which is convenient for passengers to get on and off. There is a spot between the pilot seat and the passenger area to mount an optional pivot weapon to suppress machine gun fire. These are intentionally placed so they don't obstruct the boarding and disembarkation of passengers. The cabin can be configured for cargo or passengers as required - the latter has a capacity of 15 seats??. Rescue winches for search and rescue (SAR) operations or cargo winches for cargo transport operations can also be installed on the starboard side of the hull (at the sliding passenger door).

The base can be moved on all three legs and is fully retractable. Blister nose sensor carousel with FLIR Star Safire 350HDc high resolution, full color telephoto/IR sphere.

The MH-139 features a five-blade main rotor system designed for high performance and low noise. It is located under the fuselage and is mounted on a twin engine compartment. The engine is housed in a separate engine compartment with separate access to the drivetrain.

Turbofans are drawn in through side air intakes to reduce variations in object pickup. In addition, the system being developed has inherent infrared (IR) reduction capabilities that include directional exhaust flow. Access to the engine unit is via a large hinged panel on the side. The tail rotor has a four-blade arrangement set on the starboard side.

It was purposely mounted high on the tail to free up ground crews.

MH-139 at the 2017 Andrews Airshow. It competes directly with Lockheed's Sikorsky UH-60U bid for the twin-Huey replacement program.

Specification

Basic

Production

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Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes