Trump speeds up helipad project ahead of Xi visit, adding $875K, records show

[EX500rider]

7. New model has different heat output/downdraft apparently

The Marine One helicopter fleet has been upgraded to the new Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot.
This next-generation aircraft officially replaced the decades-old VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N models, and has actively been in service for presidential transport.

In 2024, Sikorsky completed a new fleet of helicopters for use as Marine One, and President Joe Biden took the first flight aboard a modern VH-92A helicopter on his way to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago — the same day the military announced Sikorsky delivered the last of the 23 new aircraft.

But Trump said the new aircraft were more powerful than Vietnam War-era choppers that long had been used as Marine One, and that the modern ones were too potent to land on the White House lawn without damaging the grass.

"It’s not that the grass gets discolored — it gets ripped out,” the president said.

Indeed, the new aircraft has indeed seen limited service because their exhaust vents aim heat downward, scorching the White House South Lawn.

The Marines and Sikorsky have spent years trying to find a solution to the problem, which has meant that the new helicopters haven't been used at the White House. A 2026 Marine Corps aviation plan said the older VH-3Ds will remain in service through the end of this year.