America US Army Aircraft Acquisition Programs 1907 - Present (incomplete)

US Army Air Service / Air Corps / Air Force
1907 - 1947

Boeing XBLR-1 / XB-15

Heavy Bomber / Experimental Bomber

• Heavy Bomber.
• RFP issued 14 April 1934.
• Project A:
  • Boeing Model 294 XBLR-1 / XB-15 (winner).
  • Martin XB-16.
• Secret Project D, 5 February 1935:
  • Douglas XBLR-2 / XB-19 (winner).
  • Sikorsky XBLR-3.
• UPDATED 3 December 2005

• Twin engine attack bomber.
• 1,200 lb bomb load, 1,200+ mile range at 200+ mph.
• RFP issued March 1938.
• Bell Model 9 (unbuilt, withdrawn).
• Boeing-Stearman Model X-100 XA-21.
• Douglas Model 7B (crashed).
• Martin Model 167 XA-22.
• North American NA-40 (crashed).
• Requirement revised April 1939.
• Douglas DB-7 A-20 selected as winner 30 June 1939.

Martin XB-16

• Twin-engined fighter with supercharged engines.
• February 1937.
• Boeing.
• Consolidated.
• Curtiss-Wright.
• Hughes D-2.
• Lockheed Model 22 P-38 Lightning (winner)
• Vultee XP.1015.
• UPDATED 3 December 2005

• Single-engined fighter with supercharged engine.
• February 1937.
• Bell Model 3.
• Bell Model 4 XP-39 Airacobra.
• Curtiss Hawk 75-I XP-37.
• Curtiss Model 75P XP-40 (winner).
• Curtiss Hawk 75-R.
• Curtiss Hawk 75-S XP-42.
• Lockheed.
• Seversky AP-3.
• Seversky AP-4 YP-43 Lancer.
• Seversky AP-4D, AP-7 XP-41.
• UPDATED 3 December 2005

Douglas XBLR-2 / XB-19

• Medium bomber.
• 3,000 lb bomb load, 2,000 mile range at 300+ mph.
• Pratt & Whitney R-2800, Wright R-2600, or Wright R-3350 radials.
• RFP issued 11 March 1939.
• Douglas.
• Martin Model 179 B-26 Marauder.
• North American NA-62 B-25 Mitchell.
• Stearman.
• 10 August 1939, Martin 179 and North American NA-62 selected for production.

Sikorsky XBLR-3 (added 1 Jan 2006)

• Fighter.
• 1941.
• Bell Model 13 P-45 / P-39C Airacobra.
• Curtiss Hawk 87A-1 P-40D.
• Curtiss Model 86 XP-46.
• Douglas Model 312 XP-48.
• North American NA-50B / NA-73X.
• Seversky AP-4J XP-44-1 Rocket.
• Seversky AP-4L XP-44-2 Rocket.
• Seversky AP-10 XP-47.
• UPDATED 4 December 2005

• Dive Bomber.
• Brewster XA-32.
• North American NA-97 A-36 (winner).

• High-altitude interceptor.
• 11 March 1939.
• Grumman G-45 XP-50.
• Lockheed Model 522 XP-49.
• 2 August 1939: Lockheed XP-49 selected as winner.
• UPDATED 4 December 2005

• Medium bomber.
• Multi-engine.
• 1 February 1939.
• Boeing Model 322.
• Boeing Model 333.
• Boeing Model 333A.
• Consolidated B-24 Liberator.
• UPDATED 25 February 2006

• High-altitude bomber.
• August 1939.
• Hughes DX-2.
• Lockheed L-129.
• Martin Model 182 XB-27.
• North American NA-63 XB-28 (winner).
• UPDATED 25 February 2006

• Very Long-Range bomber
• 'Superbomber'
• Request for Data R-40B requirement issued 29 January 1940.
• 400 mph, 5,333 mile range, 2,000 lb bomb load.
• Boeing Model 345 XB-29 Superfortress (winner).
• Consolidated Model 33 XB-32 Terminator (backup production to B-29).
• Douglas Model 423 XB-31.
• Lockheed Model 249 XB-30.

• Long-range heavy bomber capable of bombing European targets from US mainland.
• 11 April 1941 initial requirement:
  • 450 mph max speed.
  • 275 mph cruise speed.
  • 45,000 ft service ceiling.
  • Max range 12,000 miles at 25,000 ft.
  • Range 5,000 miles with 10,000 lb bomb load.
  • Max 72,000 lb bomb load over short range.
  • Take-off and land from 5,000 ft runway.
• Preliminary design requests to Consolidated, Boeing and Northrop.
• 19 April 1941: contract to Douglas to study feasibility of using Allison V-3420 W-type engine.
• 3 May 1941: preliminary Consolidated proposal: Model 35 with four or six engines and twin tail.
• 27 May 1941: flying wing proposal requested from Northrop:
  • 8,000 mile range at 25,000 ft with 2,000 lb of bombs.
  • 250 mph cruise speed.
  • 40,0000 ft service ceiling.
  • Max 10,000 lb of bombs.
• 19 August 1941: revised requirements:
  • Max range 10,000 miles.
  • 4,000 mile combat radius with 10,000 lb of bombs.
  • Cruise speed 240 - 300 mph.
  • 40,000 ft service ceiling.
• September 1941: initial approval for Northrop NS-9, contract covered:
  • One XB-35 prototype, with option for second prototype.
  • Engineering data and model tests.
  • 1/3 scale flying mockup N-9M.
• 16 October 1941: preliminary review; Consolidated design selected.
• 15 November 1941: contract W535-AC-2232 for two XB-36 prototypes.
• 10 December 1941: Model 35 re-designated Model 36 to avoid confusion with Northrop XB-35.
• 2 January 1942: second XB-35 prototype authorized.
• 1942: XC-99 transport derivative of XB-36 authorized.
• 17 December 1942: 13 YB-35 service test aircraft ordered.
• 1943: Two additional N-9M ordered.
• 19 June 1943: 100 production B-36 ordered.
• 30 June 1943: 200 production B-35 ordered, with production by Martin.
• 1943: Additional N-9M ordered.
• 24 May 1944: B-35 production contract cancelled.
• December 1944: XB-35 and YB-35 production authorized as test vehicles only.

• Unconventional fighter.
• Curtiss CW-24 XP-55 Ascender.
• Northrop N-2M XP-56 Black Bullet.
• Vultee V-84 XP-54.

• Jet-powered medium bomber.
• 3,500 mile range, ceiling 45,000 ft, max speed 550 mph.
• 17 November 1944: requirement issued.
• Boeing Model 450 XB-47 Stratojet (winner, successor to B-45).
• Convair Model 109 XB-46.
• Martin Model 223 XB-48.
• North American NA-130 XB-45 Tornado.
• Northrop NS-41 YB-49.

• Curtiss CW-29A XP-87 Blackhawk.

US Army Aviation
1947 - Present

LOH

• Light Observation Helicopter.
• Bell OH-13 Sioux and Hiller OH-23 Raven replacement.
• 1960 - 1963.
• Requirements:
  • Minimum cruise speed 110 mph.
  • 400 lb payload.
  • One pilot plus three passengers.
• Twelve initial industry submissions.
• Finalists:
  • Bell Model 206 YHO-4A / YOH-4A.
  • Hiller Model 1100 YHO-5A / YOH-5A.
  • Hughes Model 369 YHO-6A / YOH-6A Cayuse (winner).

• Advanced Aerial Fire Support System.
• 1966.
• Bell D-262 AAFSS.
• Convair Model 49 AAFSS.
• Lockheed Model 187 XAH-56 Cheyenne.
• Sikorsky S-66 AAFSS.
• Cancelled August 1972 due to complexity and cost.

• Light Observation Helicopter Lot 2.
• Re-opened LOH program.
• 1968.
• Bell Model 206A OH-58 Kiowa.

Bell YAH-63

• Interim Advanced Aerial Fire Support System.
• Attack helicopter designed to fill gap between cancellation of AAFSS and development of AAH.
• Bell Model 209 AH-1 Cobra.
• Kaman K-20 UH-2A IAAFSS.
• Sikorsky S-61 IAAFSS.

• Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System.
• Bell UH-1 Iroquois successor.
• Bell Model 240 UTTAS.
• Boeing Vertol Model 237 YUH-61A.
• Sikorsky S-70 YUH-60A Black Hawk (winner).

Hughes YAH-64

• Heavy Lift Helicopter.
• 1971.
• Boeing Vertol Model 301 XCH-62 (winner).
• Sikorsky S-73.
• Cancelled October 1974.

• Advanced Attack Helicopter.
• Bell Model 409 YAH-63.
• Hughes Model 77 YAH-64A Apache (winner).
• Boeing AAH.
• Lockheed CL-1700 AAH.
• Sikorsky S-71 AAH.

• Light Helicopter, eXperimental.
• 1981.
• Planned replacement for Bell AH-1 Cobra (attack), Hughes OH-6 Cayuse and Bell OH-58 Kiowa (scout) and Bell UH-1 Iroquois (utility).
• McDonnell Douglas / Bell LHX.
• Boeing / Sikorsky LHX.
• 1985: Revised as LH program.

Boeing AAH

• Light Helicopter.
• 1985.
• Revised LHX program, utility transport role dropped.
• June 1988: RFP issued.
• McDonnell Douglas / Bell LH Super Team.
• Boeing / Sikorsky LH First Team YRAH-66 Comanche.
• 5 April 1991: Prototype contract awarded to Boeing / Sikorsky.
• Cancelled March 2004.

Lockheed CL-1700

• New Training Helicopter.
• IERW (Initial Entry Rotary Wing) trainer.
• 1991 RFP issued.
• UH-1 replacement.
• American Aerospatiale AS 350 (two versions).
• Bell TH-206 TH-67 Creek (winner, March 1993).
• Enstrom TH-28.
• Grumman / Schweizer Model 269.

• Utility transport.
• Beech C-12 Huron replacement.
• Cessna Citation UC-35.

• Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft.
• All-weather, highly autonomous and survivable unmanned rotorcraft .
• Phase I, May 2002:
  • Boeing UCAR.
  • Lockheed Martin UCAR.
  • Northrop Grumman UCAR.
  • Sikorsky UCAR.
• Phase II, July 2003:
  • Lockheed Martin UCAR.
  • Northrop Grumman UCAR.

• Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter.
• Replacement for OH-58 and cancelled RAH-66.
• 368 required.
• Bell Model 407.
• Boeing A/MH-6 MELB (MD-520F/G).
• August 2005: Bell Model 407 selected for production.

• Light Utility Helicopter.
• UH-1 Iroquois replacement?

• Future Cargo Aircraft.
• Intra-theater transport replacement of Shorts C-23 Sherpa.
• 33 - 125 required.
• EADS CASA North America C-295 and CN-235.
• Lockheed Martin / Alenia C-27J Spartan.

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