MD 540F Armed Scout

摘要

This year's Heli-Expo in Las Vegas included the debut of MD Helicopters' MD 540F armed scout, its first new type since 2005. Based on the MD 530F, the 540F is an uprated version developed primarily for the US Army's Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) programme, the replacement for the ageing OH-58D Kiowa. The new machine features mechanical controls, strengthened landing skids to accommodate heavier payloads, a Rolls-Royce M250-47E turbo-shaft engine rated at 700shp (521 kW), dual-channel full-authority digital engine controls and an all-new six-blade composite rotor blade system.