As a layman, I see 3 issues against the NH 90

1/ It’s not as big as a Merlin,but is supposed to be used in a similar way to Merlins.

2/ It was launched into a class that was already well catered for, and didn’t offer anything “special”. In fact it was worse in some areas.

3/ Aircraft that it was intended as a replacement for are still in production or are out of production but have a an existing large scale pretty much of the shelf upgrade menu available to them
Such as Puma/Cougar from Eurocopter or 60 Black Hawk from Sikorsky.

1. Where do you get that from? What does “used in a similar way to Merlin” mean?

2. Like what? Actually it has some interesting features like FBW.

3. If that were true it would not have got as many orders as it has despite its development troubles. More than 500 IIRC.

interesting… and why where they removed? I have only found this story

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/winglet-snags-force-yakovlev-to-modify-yak-130-6769/

which claims yakovlev removed them because they deformed but planned to reinforce them and put them back on.

small correction

You mean Rafale B (two-seater) / C (single seater).

hmm…

I thought this thread was about the F-8 in French service… :confused:

upgrade options

According to a march 1990 International Defense Review, the French had two options to upgrade their Crusaders, the one actually carried out and described above and a more advanced update which would have involved fitting them with “a weapon system identical to that of a Mirage F1”. The magazine gives no further info on what this later update would have entailed but quotes it’s estimated prize as at least 1,200 million francs vs the 700 million of the simpler one.