Why are Black Hawks still used?

I'm not too keen on the Black Hawk helicopter's abilities but I wonder why it's still used by the military. Just yesterday one went down killing 9. I just don't think they should be used. They should be refitted or just replaced by another vehicle unit. I remember back some years ago a Black Hawk went down in the Carolinas (North Carolina) I think just through training. The Black Hawk has a sucky record of going down once too often.
It can be brought down too easily. If you look at it funny it might go down.

Any thoughts to this matter.

well, the recent one that killed 9 soldiers was due to a rocket. I guess you could consider it a design flaw that it went down, but...


Actually, helicopters should not fly at all. In fact, they dont fly, they beat the air into submission. It is no wonder they go down so often. I assure you, it is not just the blackhawk... Since the beginning of the "war on terror", more Chinooks have gone down than blackhawks.

They use them because they are cheap.

What do you mean helicopters do not fly at all? Are you refering to physical laws prohibiting that? I see helicopters nearly every day flying in the sky......they are definitely flying.

They say that about bumblebees too. Oddly enough they seem to get on rather well in their awkward fashion.

Yeah, uh... That was a joke. Something I have said ever since A&P school. According to the laws of physics, helicopters should not fly. I said they dont, they just beat the air into submission. Just a joke.

Well if my unkle would hear this he would beat you to submition. He just happens to be a vietnam veteran and completed his service flying a Huey. Hi got a bronse star among other decorations and never lost a choper.
and this
is not as good as

Black Hawk is still one of the best assault transports, that is why.

And any tranport will be damaged / destroyed if hit by the right weapon.

This goes for armor, planes and helicopters.

Check the figures on UH-1 losses during Vietnam and you will see that this is not a problem that the Blackhawk hasalone.Helocopters are notoriously fragile. Many have gone down because of the "golden BB" let alone RPG's, MANPADS or AAA. A hit on the tail rotor or transmission and it's hold on to your hat and pray to auto rotate down. Don't know if they even have a replacement for the Blackhawk on the drawing board yet other than the Osprey which is a whole other kettle of fish.

Jeez....everyone's beating up on the guy for a joke, hehe... My dad flew on choppers in the army, and then in the Coast Guard....before working on C-130s, and eventually fighters for Lockheed. He used to have a joke definition for helicopters...

1000 different moving parts all designed for one purpose....to kill the pilot

Best reasons to use the Hawk ....Spooky Rules.....Dusty Saves.....Slick beats humpin.

Choppers. It all comes down to the simple rule fly fast ....fly low .... hope that you can walk away.

Got something better???

its kinda true that they dont fly...
they balance precariously on a cushion of air. Ask and helo pilot how busy he is just hovering, if the helo starts to roll forward, he has to pull back, but during that small roll foward, he lost a little downward thrust, so he has to increase collective, and because more torque is going through the rotor, he has to adjust his peddles, then when he is level again, he has to equal it all back out. They get use to it i bet, but it cant be easy at first.
Blackhawks are pretty tough though, there are stories of them hitting fences while training in north australia and not being effected at all. There is footage somewhere of an aussie blackhawk flying our PM somewhere and it clipped a tree, there was damage, but it flew saftley back to base....

Scitech, upon what do you build your opinion? You mouth it off quite easily, but it is of no substance.

The 'Hawk series of helicopters are very reliable, as a matter of fact. They do not have a sucky record at all. You hear of a handful of crashes and decide they are no good.

Of all the missions a 'Hawk has been fitted, but doesn't perform too well, is SAR missions. You can carry alot of ammo, or alot of fuel, but not both.

Yeah, Scitech, I know you do not build new 'Hawks, or perform mods or rebuild crash damage or SDLM's on the 'Hawks as I do, but in knowing that, maybe you should talk about that which you are knowledgeable.

*Cracker-head thinks he's gonna come in hear crapping on my product *

People confuse things..

And they think that choppers are special because they fly..

Well they are not..

USA and Russia uses these as highly mobile 'trucks' in very large numbers..

And even if they are 'fragile'..

Their edge has always been in their great mobility..

and even in Nam..

where large numbers were lost it was a over all succees.

Will they not be replaced by the v-22 osprey? That is if I am right. Don't know thought I have seen it somewhere on the net.

No, they won't be replaced by the Osprey. Rather, the Osprey is in serious trouble, and will probably be replaced by new H-53's or S-92's.
As Fulcrum pointed out, they are great flying trucks, and also make great ground support weapons platforms.

But, things do change, and heads' up, Sikorsky R&D is working toward the next generation VTOL aircraft. The helicopter might go by the wayside in a few decades.

BTW, all helicopters are not "choppers". The UH-1 was called a chopper because of the chopping sound it made. Four-bladed main rotorheads won't sound like that. I've been meaning to e-mail Fox News and tell them to knock it off, but I keep forgetting.

Thanks for that FULCRUM, besides there will never be a complitly safe and practical way to move your troops as thats what weapons are desined for, to shoot the other guys stuff out of the sky. And these weapons consentrate on the weakpoints of there victims. In Nam they had realy good expirience as for shooting down chopers (waiting for them to do the drop and hiting the engine or the back rotor and stuff like that). So mostly its being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the right people aiming at you.

Have a nice day

Helicopter..

Copter for 'short'..
(at least in my native language.. Helikopteri -> Kopteri -> Heko .. dear child has many names..)



Also TC,

I Know what helicopters sound like..

Theres Army aviation base near here..

Mil Mi-8s and Hughes 500s flying around.. all the time..

and they dont 'chop' as they have 5 bladed rotors..

5 bladed? Like the H-53?

Thank God for Igor Sikorsky.

Of course, his brother elected to stay in Mother Russia, and Russia benefited for that.

Anyone can glide a fixed wing, but it takes a real man to pilot an helicopter. Right, Fulcrum?

he was a very smart person.

with the wrong mind.