Meet the new Marine One: Sikorsky's new Presidential helicopter takes off for its first flight (But Donald Trump won't get to use it until 2020)

• e-mail

The helicopter that will become the new Marine One in 2020 has taken its first flight.

The Sikorsky VH-92A, which will become Marine One when the President travels on it, was selected in 2014 as part of a $1.24 billion contract to overhaul the Presidential fleet.

Based on the firm's S-92 helicopter, it will be upgraded with 'government-defined missions systems and an executive interior' to serve as Presidential transport.

Scroll down for video

An artist's impression of the new Marine One at the White House. Based on the firm's S-92 helicopter, it will be upgraded with 'government-defined missions systems and an executive interior' to serve as Presidential transport

The secretive July 28 flight signals the start of the 250 hour flight test program, which will take place at Lockheed Martin facilities in Owego, New York.  

The aircraft achieved its first flight, and later that same day completed a second flight at Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, Connecticut. 

However, no images or video of the flight have been revealed. 

Total flight time for the two sorties was one hour and included hover control checks, low speed flight, and a pass of the airfield.

The VH-92A aircraft will replace the current Marine Corps fleet of VH-3D and VH-60N helicopters flown by Marine Helicopter Squadron One, and will be a dual-piloted, twin-engine helicopter based on the Sikorsky S-92A. 

It will be able to operate worldwide in day, night, or adverse weather conditions, and the VH-92A will be air-transportable to remote locations via Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft.

It will be able to operate worldwide in day, night, or adverse weather conditions, and will The VH-92A will be air-transportable to remote locations via Air Force C-17 cargo aircraft.

Inside the S-92: Although it is unknown what configuration the new Marine One will use, Sikorsky offers a range of options

It will feature a specially developed military communications system allowing simultaneous short- and long-range secure and non-secure voice and data communications. 

It can also exchange situational awareness information with outside agencies, organizations, and supporting aircraft.

'This first flight of the VH-92A configured test aircraft is an important milestone for the program,' said Spencer Elani, director VH-92A program at Sikorsky. 

'Having independently tested the aircraft's components and subsystems, we are now moving forward to begin full aircraft system qualification via the flight test program.'

As the flight test program proceeds, this test aircraft (Engineering Development Model 1, or EDM-1) will be joined by an additional test aircraft (EDM-2) over the course of the 12-month flight test program. 

EDM-2 is on track for its first flight later this year.

The contract will produce a total of six aircraft: two test aircraft and four production aircraft. 

OLD RUSSIAN 747'S COULD BECOME AIR FORCE ONE 

Current state: Members of the White House press corps board Air Force One before the arrival of President Donald Trump at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland in April

Two jumbo jets which were built for a Russian airline could become part of the Air Force One fleet, it was confirmed earlier this month.

The Air Force, which has been looking for ways to lower the cost of new planes for Air Force One, is in talks with Boeing about buying two 747s that were ordered but never delivered to a now-defunct Russian airline.

President Donald Trump has previously complained about the high cost of new Air Force One planes, even threatening at one point to cancel the order.

The Air Force and Boeing confirmed that they are working on a deal involving Boeing 747s but declined to disclose further details.

Two people close to the matter said that the discussions are centered on planes that were ordered by a Russian carrier. They spoke anonymously because the deal is not final and has not been publicly announced.

 

The production options for the remaining 17 aircraft will be finalized in FY19.

The VH-92A will enter into service in 2020. 

President Donald Trump walks to the current Marine One before departing from the White House on August 4, 2017 in Washington to travel to Bedminster, N.J. for his summer break.

The VH-92A will transport the president and vice president of the United States and other officials. 

The VH-92A aircraft is based on Sikorsky's successful and FAA-certified S-92A commercial aircraft, which recently surpassed one million flight hours. 

The S-92A aircraft, assembled in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, is being modified to include integration of government-defined missions systems and an executive interior.

The new Marine One is based on Sikorsky's existing S-92 craft

'With this successful first flight on the books, we look forward to completion of Sikorsky's flight test program, operational testing and production of this aircraft to support the Office of the President of the United States,' said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Robert Pridgen, program manager for the Naval Air System Command's Presidential Helicopter's Program Office.

The U.S. Navy awarded a $1.24 billion fixed-price incentive Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract with production options to Sikorsky on May 7, 2014.