ARH-70's First Flight

-- Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company today announced that the Bell ARH-70A completed its first two flights Thursday, July 20, 2006. The aircraft took off from Bell XworX in Arlington, Texas and flew multiple handling maneuvers, flew in a hover for both in and out of ground effect, and flew in a traffic pattern reaching 80 knots, 500 ft. altitude, with banks up to 30 degrees for a little more than 1.5 hours of flight. The flights delineate the ARH program as one of the fastest ‘contract to flight’ programs ever completed and set a new standard for such acquisitions. For the rest of Bell Helicopter's propaganda click HERE

Color me surprised if this aircraft makes it to the user and we really get something substantially better than the OH-58D that the Army has already...yes I'm cynical...get over it.