Even the president’s ride can be hot-rodded. That’s the best way to describe the 23 choppers scheduled to replace the current fleet of Marine One VH-3Ds and VH-60Ns. Outfitted with a kitchen, a bathroom and a White House-worthy high-speed communications suite, the VH-71 is closer in capabilities (and amenities) to Air Force One than to its short-hop predecessors.
Development of the VH-71, which had its first test flight in Yeovil, England, in July, was accelerated following the Sept. 11 attacks, with Lockheed Martin promising five production models by 2009. The remaining choppers, due by 2018, will include even more communications systems and performance boosts.
New Marine One Specs
• Long Range /// With three super-efficient engines, the VH-71s will travel up to 350 miles. Today’s VH-3Ds have a 100-mile range.
• Oval Cabin /// The VH-71 is billed as an “Oval Office in the sky,” with sound- and vibration-reducing systems, missile protection and seating for 14 passengers.
• Lineage /// The chopper that the VH-71 is based on, the AgustaWestland-built EH-101, has been used for search-and-rescue in Canada and troop transport in Bosnia.
From the October 2007 issue of Popular Mechanics
This sounds sweet. I don't think it is supposed to be used for more than just short trips (relatively), but more functional than it's predecessors.
