Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
S-64 Skycrane
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| S-64 Skycrane/Aircrane | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Erickson S-64E, Olga | |
| Type | Aerial crane |
| Manufacturer | Sikorsky Erickson Air-Crane |
| Maiden flight | 9 May 1962 |
| Status | Active |
| Primary user | Erickson Air-Crane |
| Developed from | CH-54 Tarhe |
The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter. It is the civil version of the United States Army's CH-54 Tarhe. The S-64 Aircrane is the current production version, manufactured by the Erickson Air-Crane company.
Contents |
The Sikorksy 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 shp (3020kW) JFTD-12A 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 CH-54A Tarhe). A small number of the S-64A and S-64E variants were built by Sikorsky for the civil market.
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 bushfires, and it has acquitted itself admirably in this role.
So far, 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 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 from scratch as well as remanufacturing existing CH-54's to meet the needs of the firefighting and logging industries; thus the U.S. military could re-introduce new up-engined Skycranes to meet their 20-ton Sea Basing requirements. Erickson began the tradition of giving each S-64 an individual name, the most well known being "Elvis" used in fighting fires in Australia. Other operators, such as Siller Brothers have followed suit with their Sikorsky S-64E Andy's Pride. One Erickson S-64E nicknamed "Olga" was used to lift the top section of the CN Tower into place.
- S-64A
- S-64E
- S-64E
- S-64F
- Erickson Air-Crane
- Evergreen Helicopters, Inc. - 1 S-64E
- Helicopter Transport Services, Inc. - CH-54A
- Siller Bros. Inc. - Yuba City, California
United States - 2 S-64E
- Italian Forest Service (Corpo Forestale Dello Stato) - 4 S-64F
- Korea Forest Service - 2 S-64E (with 2 more on order) [1]
- N189AC "Gypsy Lady" - crashed in Rose Valley, California late 2006. [3][4] Rebuilt and back in service.
- N198AC "Shirley Jean" - S-64F; sold to European Air-Crane c.2006 as I-SEAD; crashed in Italy on 4-26-07.[5] Latest reports say aircraft was destroyed.[citation needed]
- N248AC "Aurora" - named after Aurora State Airport. Home to Columbia Helicopters, former owner of aircraft [6] . Written off August 26, 2004 due to inflight breakup. [7]
Data from The International Directory of Civil Aircraft [8]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2 (pilot, co-pilot), plus room for one rear-facing observer
- Capacity: up to 5 total persons
- Payload: 20,000 lb (9,072 kg)
- Length: 70 ft 3 in (21.41 m (fuselage))
- Rotor diameter: 72 ft 0 in (21.95 m)
- Height: 18 ft 7 in (5.67 m)
- Disc area: 4070 ft² (378.1 m²)
- Empty weight: 19,234 lb (8,724 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 42,000 lb (19,050 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney JFTD12-4A (T73-P-1) turboshaft engines, 4,500 shp (3,555 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 109 knots (mph, 203 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 91 knots (mph, 169 km/h)
- Range: 200 nm (230 mi, 370 km) max fuel and reserves
- Service ceiling: 9,000 ft (m)
- Rate of climb: 1,330 ft/min (6.75 m/s)
- ^ HAI Rotornews
- ^ Helispot photo
- ^ NTSB report in pdf
- ^ Inciweb - Helitanker Accident At Rose Valley
- ^ http://www.dgualdo.it/isead-report.htm Helicopters area of dgualdo.it (report excerpts in Italian)
- ^ Helispot photo
- ^ NTSB report
- ^ Frawley, Gerard: The International Directiory of Civil Aircraft, 2003-2004, page 195. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003. ISBN 1-875671-58-7
Designation sequence
- List of active military aircraft of the United States
- List of helicopters
- List of military aircraft of the United States
|
|
|---|
|
Airplanes: S-29-A · S-38 · S-39 · S-40 · S-42 · S-43 · VS-44 Helicopters (Company designations): VS-300 · S-47 · S-48 · S-49 · S-51 · S-52 · S-53 · S-54 · S-55 · S-56 · S-58 · S-59 · S-60 · S-61 · S-61L/N · S-61R · S-62 · S-64 · S-65 · S-67 · S-69 · S-70 · S-72 · S-75 · S-76 · S-80 · S-92/H-92 Helicopters (Military designations): SH-3 · HH-3E/F · R-4 · H-5 · H-18 · H-19 · H-34 · CH-37 · XH-39 · HH-52A · CH-53 · CH-53E · CH-53K · CH-54 · HH-60G · HH-60J · MH-60 · SH-60 · UH-60 · VH-60 · RAH-66 · CH-124 · CH-148 |
|
|
|
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents |
Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |