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Bare S-70 airframes enter the factory at the far left of the picture above. Components are added to the airframes -- including engines, transmissions, wiring, avionics and interiors -- by the time the helicopters work their way down to the other end of the assembly line.
More than 3,000 S-70 variants have rolled off the assembly line since the first helicopter entered service back in 1979. Since 9/11, the Connecticut factory has been very busy: Today, it's producing helicopters at a rate averaging five per week.
This factory has a long history producing military aircraft. During World War II, F-4U Corsair aircraft were built here by the thousands. Today the different variants of the S-70 helicopter are built in Stratford side by side. In the picture above an MH-60R Sea Hawk destined for the Navy is in the foreground, while UH-60M and HH-60M Black Hawks are being assembled in the background.
Photos: Jason Paur/Wired.com
