(Sikorsky) CH-54 & S-64 @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • A CH-54 carrying 2 Hueys A CH-54 carrying 2 Hueys
    A CH-54 carrying 2 Hueys
  • A CH-54 carrying a parachute bomb A CH-54 carrying a parachute bomb
    A CH-54 carrying a parachute bomb
  • Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe (1960) Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe (1960)
    Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe (1960)
  • S-64 Skycrane S-64 Skycrane
    S-64 Skycrane
  • Sikorsky CH-54A Tarhe Sikorsky CH-54A Tarhe
    Sikorsky CH-54A Tarhe
  • Sikorsky CH-54B and M551 tank Sikorsky CH-54B and M551 tank
    Sikorsky CH-54B and M551 tank
  • Sikorsky S-64 Erickson Air-Crane "Camille" at Wagga Wagga Airport Sikorsky S-64 Erickson Air-Crane "Camille" at Wagga Wagga Airport
    Sikorsky S-64 Erickson Air-Crane "Camille" at Wagga Wagga Airport
  • Sikorsky S-64 "Gypsy Lady" Sikorsky S-64 "Gypsy Lady"
    Sikorsky S-64 "Gypsy Lady"
  • S-64 Skycrane S-64 Skycrane
    S-64 Skycrane
  • Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane
    Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane
  • S-64 Skycrane S-64 Skycrane
    S-64 Skycrane
  • Sikorsky CH-54A Tarhe Sikorsky CH-54A Tarhe
    Sikorsky CH-54A Tarhe
  • S-64 Skycrane S-64 Skycrane
    S-64 Skycrane
  • S-64A Skycrane S-64A Skycrane
    S-64A Skycrane
  • Sikorsky S-64F Sikorsky S-64F
    Sikorsky S-64F
  • CH-54B CH-54B
    CH-54B

Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe and S-64 Skycrane

The Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe is a twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter designed by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Army. It is named after Tarhe (whose nickname was "The Crane"), an 18th-century chief of the Wyandot Indian tribe. The civil version is the S-64 Skycrane.

Development

Initial work on the Sikorsky "sky-crane" helicopters began in 1958 with the piston-engined Sikorsky S-60.

The first flight of the turboshaft-powered S-64 Skycrane was on 9 May 1962.

The United States Army eventually purchased 105, designating them CH-54. Used in Vietnam for transport and downed-aircraft retrieval, it was highly successful, thanks to the 'adaptable' nature of the module system first conceived by General James M. Gavin in his 1947 book Airborne Warfare. Early pods could not carry troops and external sling-loads at the same time; later, pods that could carry both were developed but not acquired. As of 2014, it holds the record for highest altitude in level flight (11 km in 1971) and fastest climb to 3, 6 and 9 km.

The Skycrane can not only hold its cargo up and tight against its center spine to lessen drag and eliminate the pendulum effect when flying forward, it can also winch vehicles up and down from a hovering position, so the helicopter does not need to land. Due to budget cuts, the Heavy Lift Helicopter (HLH) program was canceled and the CH-54s not upgraded with larger engines. The Boeing-vertol CH-47 Chinook gradually supplemented it in combat and eventually replaced it in Regular Army aviation units, although CH-54 Skycranes remained in Army National Guard service until the early 1990s.

The Soviet Union also created much larger crane helicopters with a similar skeletal design, such as the Mil Mi-10.

Today, Erickson Air-Crane of Central Point, Oregon operates the largest fleet of S-64 helicopters in the world under the name Erickson S-64 Aircrane. These can be equipped with water-dropping equipment (some also have foam/gel capability) for firefighting duties worldwide. After obtaining the type certificate and manufacturing rights in 1992, Erickson remains the manufacturer.

Variants

  • YCH-54A : Pre-production aircraft, six built.
  • CH-54A : Production model powered by two 4,500 shp (3,400 kW) Pratt & Whitney T73-P-1 turboshafts, 54 built.
  • CH-54B : Heavier version of the CH-54A with two 4,800 shp (3,600 kW) T-73-P-700 turboshafts and twin-wheeled main undercarriage, 37 built.

Operators

  • United States :
    • NASA.
    • United States Army.

Survivors on display in the US

  • YCH-54A 64-14203 on display at the United States Army Transportation Museum Fort Eustis, Virginia
  • CH-54A 66-18409 on display at the 1st Cavalry Division Museum Fort Hood, Texas
  • CH-54A 67-18418 on display at the Stead Army National Guard Base, Reno, Nevada
  • CH-54A 67-18424 on display at the Combat Air Museum, Topeka, Kansas
  • CH-54B 68-18434 on display at Armed Forces Museum, Camp Shelby, Mississippi
  • CH-54A 68-18437 on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum (adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB), Tucson, Arizona
  • CH-54A 68-18438 on display at the United States Army Aviation Museum Fort Rucker, Alabama
  • CH-54A 68-18446 on display at the Kenosha Military Museum, Kenosha, Wisconsin
  • CH-54B 69-18465 on display at the New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, Connecticut
  • CH-54B 69-18479 on display at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Alabama
  • CH-54B "N/A" on display at Camp Denali, Fort Richardson, Alaska

Civil version, the S-64 Skycrane

Development under Sikorsky

The Sikorsky S-64 was designed as an enlarged version of the prototype flying crane helicopter, the Sikorsky S-60. The S-64 had a six-blade main rotor and was powered by two 4,050 shaft horsepower (3,020 kW) Pratt & Whitney JFTD12A turboshaft engines. The prototype S-64 first flew on 9 May 1962 and was followed by two further examples for evaluation by the German armed forces. The Germans did not place an order, but the United States Army placed an initial order for six S-64A helicopters (with the designation YCH-54A Tarhe). Seven S-64E variants were built by Sikorsky for the civil market.

Development under Erickson

Originally a Sikorsky Aircraft product, the type certificate and manufacturing rights were purchased from them by Erickson Air-Crane in 1992.

Since that time, Erickson Air-Crane has become the manufacturer and world's largest operator of S-64 Aircranes and has made over 1,350 changes to the airframe, instrumentation, and payload capabilities of the helicopter. The Aircrane can be fitted with a 2,650-gallon (~10,000 litre) fixed retardant tank to assist in the control of bush fires, and it has proved itself admirably in this role.

S-64 Aircranes have been sold to the Italian and Korean Forest Services for fire suppression and emergency response duties. Those in the Erickson Air-Crane fleet are leased worldwide to organizations, companies, and Federal Government agencies for either short-term or longer term use in fire suppression, civil protection, heavy lift construction, and timber harvesting.

Erickson is manufacturing new S-64s, as well as remanufacturing existing CH-54s. Erickson gives each of its S-64s an individual name, the best-known being "Elvis", used in fighting fires in Australia alongside "The Incredible Hulk" and "Isabelle". Other operators, such as Siller Brothers, have followed with their Sikorsky S-64E, Andy's Pride. The Erickson S-64E nicknamed "Olga" was used to lift the top section of the CN Tower into place in Toronto, Canada.

S-64 Variants

Sikorsky Skycrane

  • S-64 : Twin-engined heavy-lift helicopter, 3 built.
  • S-64A : Six test and evaluation helicopters for the US Army.
  • S-64B : Civil version of CH-54A, 7 built.

Erickson Aircrane

  • S-64E : Upgraded & certified CH-54A helicopters, plus one new build aircraft.
  • S-64F : Upgraded & certified CH-54B helicopters. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney JFTD12-5A engines.

Operators

  • Italy : Corpo Forestale dello Stato.
  • South Korea : Korea Forest Service.
  • United States :
    • Columbia Helicopters.
    • Erickson Air-Crane.
    • Evergreen Helicopters, Inc..
    • Helicopter Transport Services.
    • Los Angeles City Fire Department (contracted by Erickson Air-Crane).
    • Los Angeles County Fire Department (contracted by Erickson Air-Crane).
    • San Diego Gas and Electric (contracted by Erickson Air-Crane).
    • Siller Helicopters.

Incidents

  • N189AC "Gypsy Lady" – crashed in Ojai, California on October 1, 2006. While operating for the USFS The Erickson S-64 snagged a dip tank and the helicopter rolled over and crashed.
  • N198AC "Shirley Jean" – S-64F; sold to European Air-Crane c.2006 as I-SEAD; crashed in Italy on 2007-04-26. Aircraft was destroyed in a post-crash fire.
  • N248AC "Aurora" – S-64E; named after Aurora State Airport. Home to Columbia Helicopters, former owner of aircraft. Crashed on 26 August 2004 in Corsica, killing its Canadian pilot and French co-pilot. The Air-Crane was chartered by the interior ministry to fight fires on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica. It had been fighting a fire and it went down near the village of Ventiseri as it was trying to return to a nearby military base because of a technical problem due to inflight breakup.

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This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe of Wikipedia ( authors )

Specifications (CH-54B)

  • Crew : 3.
  • Payload : 20,000 lb (9,072 kg).
  • Length : 88 ft 6 in (26.97 m).
  • Rotor diameter : 72 ft (21.95 m).
  • Height : 25 ft 5 in (7.75 m).
  • Disc area : 4071.5 ft² (378.24 m²).
  • Empty weight : 19,800 lb (8,980 kg).
  • Max. takeoff weight : 47,000 lb (21,000 kg).
  • Maximum speed : 130 kn (150 mph, 240 km/h).
  • Cruise speed : 100 kn (115 mph, 185 km/h).
  • Range : 200 nm (230 mi, 370 km).
  • Service ceiling : 18,330 ft (5,600 m).
  • Rate of climb : 1,330 ft/min (6.75 m/s).
  • Powerplant : Two Pratt & Whitney T73-P-700 turboshafts.
  • Power : 4,800 shp (3,580 kW) each.

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This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Source : Article Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe of Wikipedia ( authors )
Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe - Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane : Your comments on this subject
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