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Background  —  Medium-Lift Helicopter Comparisons  —  the S-70

Update: On 05 June 2006, the Harper government issued an Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) to single-source 16 Boeing CH-47s.

Sikorsky’s Original S-70 Hawk Family The Sikorsky H-92 / CH-148 Cyclone has its origins in the UH-60 Black Hawk and SH-60 SeaHawk (known commercially as the S-70 family). Both the utility and ship board aircraft are notable for folding into a compact form. They are also very powerful helicopters for their size – dictated by its original requirement, replacing Bell Hueys in US service.

Naval helicopters like the SH-60 fold for shipboard stowage. But UH-60s were also designed for folding at the outset  to  simplify  shipping.  Both types having folding tailbooms and main rotors – automated for SH-60s, manual for UH-60s. Either fits into a US C-5 Galaxy without disassembly (and, therefore, the An-124 also). [1]

Sikorsky S-70 / UH-60L Black Hawk  —  Specifications   Length (overall):   15.25m (fuselage), 19.6m (rotors turning)   Dimen. (folded):   12.5m L  x  4.3m W (incl. stabil.)  x  3.7m H   Rotor diameters:   16.4m (main rotor), 3.35m (tail rotor)   Cabin/hold size:   6.00m L  x  2.0m W  x  1.8m H, 21.6 cu m   Weights:   empty 4820kg, max TO 9185kg, 3630kg hoist   Performance:   speed 270 km/h, range 600km, ceiling 5790m   Powerplant:   2 x 2326 kW (3120shp) T700-700 turboshafts

Where the S-70s are lacking is interior volume – hence the enlarged H-92.  But the S-70 has two big advantages over its later stablemate – the ’Hawks are available before 2008 and  they can hoist a heavier load from their external sling hooks (thanks to the lesser weight of the smaller fuselage). Here priorities must be set: will external loads or cabin size be emphasized? How important is early delivery? Certainly an argument can be made [2] for a mixed fleet of S-70s and H-92. Maximum commonality but with different specialties.

[1] Standard procedure for loading UH-60s into USAF C-5s is to remove the helicopter’s stabilator. This isn’t required but frees up space. [2] The possibility of surplus US Navy SH-60B/F SeaHawks as interim shipboard aircraft is of no interest to Naval Staff.  The Blackhawk is more immediately relevant. The focus has been on medium-lift but the Air Force has not deployed utility helicopters to Kandahar either.