The mysterious helicopter involved in the Osama Bin Laden raid

[MaxII]

From the link given on the previous page; http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...LEFTTopStories

Pic 4 has a man crouching by the wreckage and gives a good idea of the size of the section.

[Franzuu]

So this is the main rotor part or what?

Also the helicopter couldn't have been just burnt because that twitter guy heard a huge explosion and people saw a fireball.

[Henry's Fork]

Looks like the nose of a Hummingbird UAV to my untrained eye. With a coat of "black ball"(?) and a extra set of blades. The disc on top of the roters matches the Hbird much more than pave low.

2 pesos.

[flarkey]

i think that pic (truck & tarp) is the tail rotor section

[ESOGSteel]

...your conspiracy mileage may vary depending upon your medication levels.

Awesome, I'm stealing this.

My opinion after reading a bunch of reports and links from here and other places...Modified H-60 Blackhawk.

[gunnergoz]

I think you're looking at the same tail section, covered with tarp. The tail stabilizers are sticking out on either side, midway up the tarp; the top part of the tail with the tailrotor assembly is on the far right, near the men and the tractor. All the broken lumps and parts are sticking out, making it hard to define what is what, but I'm confident this is what you are looking at.
As to the issue of the explosion vs burning, any thermite grenades used to burn the fuselage, would eventually torch off the fuel remaining and...kaboom! But by then, much of the fuel might have been drained out onto the ground, perhaps deliberately. Still there would have been a breathtaking "whump" as all that ignited, doubtless waking the undead for miles around.

[Martial]

I was a maintenance officer with Navy Seahawks some years ago so I know the breed pretty well. My best guess is that this is an extremely stealthed composite modification of an H-60, using its mechanicals but greatly changing its exterior shape. The H-60's been around a long time, lots of people know how to fly them, is very reliable and damage resistant, making it a prime candidate for such a conversion. As to why it crashed, I'd suspect that there was an unexpected loss of lift when it found itself straddling the high wall and it just bellied into the courtyard, severing the tail at the same time. Given the short drop (6-10 feet) and slow speed, the crash would be survivable. The raid would go on while one or two operators or aircrew would use thermite or similar heat-generating grenades to finish off the wreckage that they could reach within the walls of the compound. At the end of the raid, all the loot and everybody on the ground gets evac'ed by one of the MH-47's that accompanied the force.
That's my two bits, your conspiracy mileage may vary depending upon your medication levels.

I like this explanation. MH-60 with a new body with radar-deflecting shape made from radar-absorbing material and special paint. Kinda like putting fake exotic body on a VW Bug chassis to make it look like a sports car.

[Steak-Sauce]

Judging from the new, more detailed pictures of the tail emerging in the web, I'd say it's not a MH-60K as I claimed on the first page. Still I think the chopper is related to the H-60 family, though.

Btw:

There are already some great discussions underway at militaryphotos and Secret Projects. Check those out, and tell me what you think.

Secret helicopter revealed in bin Laden op? @ Stephen Trimble's Flightglobal blog The DEW Line

Congratulations.

[IDA_71]

I like this explanation. UH-60 with a new body with radar-deflecting shape made from radar-absorbing material and special paint. Kinda like putting fake exotic body on a VW Bug chassis to make it look like a sports car.

Why do they need a radar-deflecting shape? My guess that noise reduce is more cruchial in this case.

Judging from the new, more detailed pictures of the tail emerging in the web.

Post them!

[Steak-Sauce]

Post them!

I meant the close-ups posted on the last pages of this thread.

[Martial]

Why do they need a radar-deflecting shape?

I would think to avoid being detected by radar and shot down by PAK Air Force!

[Voodoo_Br]

Ok, I couldnt resist, so I´ve actually modded an blackhawk with the same tail rotor, added the sound surpressor on the main rotor, with an extra blade, with a different shape, that also reduces noise, and named it Silent hawk... here´s the result...

[Frenchdude]

Ok, I couldnt resist, so I´ve actually modded an blackhawk with the same tail rotor, added the sound surpressor on the main rotor, with an extra blade, with a different shape, that also reduces noise, and named it Silent hawk... here´s the result...

Wow you did that quick ! Very interesting indeed, it seems to fit in ! Nice job !!

I can't wait for the US to realease pics of this new chopper !

[Martial]

Ok, I couldnt resist, so I´ve actually modded an blackhawk with the same tail rotor, added the sound surpressor on the main rotor, with an extra blade, with a different shape, that also reduces noise, and named it Silent hawk... here´s the result...

Beauty! Mess with the body some more...make it a little more "Commanche-like" for us.

[Voodoo_Br]

Wow you did that quick ! Very interesting indeed ! Nice job !!

Actually there was a free model on the internet... i just changed minor things on it...!