"This is one of the most promising aviation markets in years," said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at the Teal Group.

"They have a very understanding owner," said Richard L. Aboulafia, vice president at Teal Group, an aerospace consulting firm.

Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group expects the company to offer a S-92 version.

A research firm, the Teal Group, predicts that the handful of U.A.V. manufacturers will collect about $55 billion worldwide over the next 10 years.

He is a senior analyst at the Teal Group.

The Teal Group ranks Bombardier as the market leader, with a 25 percent share compared with Raytheon's 10 percent.

Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at the Teal Group, an aviation industry consultant, said the time savings on transcontinental flights do not make much difference.

"This contract will have a huge impact," said Richard Aboulafia, a military analyst at the Teal Group, a northern Virginia consulting group.

"It's a sign of the times," said Richard Aboulafia, an expert in military aircraft with the Teal Group, a consulting firm.

"It's crunch time for a lot of programs," said Richard Aboulafia, a military analyst at the Teal Group, a consulting firm in the Washington area.