Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane

From AviationSafetyX Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

"S-64" redirects here. For other uses, see S64 (disambiguation).

<templatestyles src="Module:Message box/ambox.css"></templatestyles>

<templatestyles src="Module:Infobox/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Sikorsky installing monopole in Langkawi, Malaysia

The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter. It is the civilian version of the United States Army's CH-54 Tarhe. It is currently[1] produced as the S-64 Aircrane by Erickson Inc.

Development[edit | edit source]

Under Sikorsky[edit | edit source]

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.[2] 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.

Under Erickson[edit | edit source]

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 US gal (10,000 L) fixed retardant tank to assist in the control of bush fires.[3] The helicopter is capable of refilling its entire tank of water in 45 seconds from a tube (which they call a snorkel) 18 inches (46 cm) thick.[4]

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, Ontario, Canada.[5]

Variants[edit | edit source]

Sikorsky Skycrane[edit | edit source]

Skycrane "Olga" lifting a CN Tower antenna segment
S-64
Twin-engined heavy-lift helicopter, 3 built. 1 rebuilt as S-64E.
S-64A
Six test and evaluation helicopters for the US Army.
S-64B
Civil version of CH-54A, 7 built.

Erickson[edit | edit source]

S-64E
Upgraded CH-54A helicopters, plus one new build aircraft; 17 aircraft in total.
S-64F
Upgraded CH-54B helicopters; powered by two Pratt & Whitney JFTD12-5A engines; 13 aircraft in total.
S-64F+
Proposed upgraded version with new engines, avionics, and optional piloting.[6]

Operators[edit | edit source]

An Erickson S-64 making a water drop
Italian Forest Service S-64F
Template:Flag
Template:Flag
Template:Flag
A Siller S-64, registered N7095B, flying near Encino, Los Angeles fighting the Palisades Fire.

Incidents[edit | edit source]

  • N189AC "Gypsy Lady" – crashed in Ojai, California on 1 October 2006. While operating for the USFS, the Erickson S-64 snagged a dip tank and the helicopter rolled over and crashed.[17]
  • N198AC "Shirley Jean" – S-64F; sold to European Air-Crane c.2006 as I-SEAD; crashed in Italy on 2007-04-26.[18] Aircraft was destroyed in a post-crash fire.[19]
  • N248AC "Aurora" – S-64E; named after Aurora State Airport, home to Columbia Helicopters, former owner of aircraft.[8] Crashed on 26 August 2004 in Corsica, killing its Canadian pilot and French co-pilot. The aircrane was chartered by the interior ministry to fight fires on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica. It had been fighting a wildfire as it went down near the village of Ventiseri, trying to return to a nearby military base, due to technical problems associated with inflight breakup.[20][21]
  • N173AC "Christine" – S-64E; ditched into a small dam within Melbourne's water catchment with no casualties during a firefighting operation in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia on 28 January 2019. The crew, consisting of two pilots and the flight engineer, were able to bail from the aircraft in 7 to 10 feet (2 to 3 m) of water and swim to safety with no life-threatening injuries.[22] The aircraft was rebuilt at Erickson's Central Point, Oregon facility and flew again in early 2021.
  • N4037S - An S-64E operated by Siller Helicopters sustained damage to the right main landing gear wheel and tire assembly after a midair collision with a Bell 407 near Cabazon, California while both aircraft were responding to a reported fire on 6 August 2023. The S-64 landed near the collision site with no injuries to the two pilots on board. The Bell 407 sustained substantial damage in the collision, leaving a debris field approximately 1,000 feet (300 m) in length before coming to rest on a rocky hillside where it was consumed by a post-crash fire. The contract pilot along with a Cal Fire Assistant Chief and Cal Fire Captain on board the Bell 407 were killed. [23]

Specifications (S-64E)[edit | edit source]

Data from The International Directory of Civil Aircraft[24]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3 (pilot, co-pilot), plus one rear-facing aft-stick operator during external-load operations[lower-alpha 1]
  • Capacity: up to 5 total people[lower-alpha 2] / 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) payload
  • Length: 70 ft 3 in (21.41 m)
  • Height: 18 ft 7 in (5.66 m)
  • Empty weight: 19,234 lb (8,724 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 42,000 lb (19,051 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney JFTD12-4A (T73-P-1) turboshaft engines, 4,500 shp (3,400 kW) each
  • Main rotor diameter: 72 ft 0 in (21.95 m)
  • Main rotor area: 4,070 sq ft (378 m2)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 115 kn (132 mph, 213 km/h)
  • Cruise speed: 115 kn (132 mph, 213 km/h)
  • Never exceed speed: 115 kn (132 mph, 213 km/h)
  • Range: 200 nmi (230 mi, 370 km) max fuel and reserves
  • Hover ceiling IGE S-64E: 10,600 ft (3,200 m)
  • Hover ceiling IGE S-64A: 9,700 ft (3,000 m)
  • Rate of climb: 1,330 ft/min (6.8 m/s)

See also[edit | edit source]

<templatestyles src="Module:Portal/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Notes[edit | edit source]


References[edit | edit source]


External links[edit | edit source]

<templatestyles src="Module:Side box/styles.css"></templatestyles><templatestyles src="Sister project/styles.css"></templatestyles>

<templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane.

Template:Externalimage

Template:Sikorsky Aircraft

  1. ↑ The Fascinating Story of the S-64 Air Crane® Helicopter | Erickson Inc..  Jesse Martinich.  (2021-12-10)  Retrieved 2024-05-30 from Erickson Inc. | OEM and MRO Services
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ Erickson S-64 Air Crane to Return to Australian Skies This Season.  (20 October 2021)  Retrieved 7 February 2022 from AerialFireMag.com
  4. ↑ Firefighting Services.  Retrieved 27 April 2018 from Erickson Incorporated
  5. ↑ Topping of Tower.  Retrieved 29 June 2020 from CNTower.ca
  6. ↑ Erickson to demo S-64 Air Crane flying autonomously using Sikorsky Matrix.  Garrett Reim.  (29 January 2020)  Retrieved 31 January 2020 from link
  7. ↑ Erickson delivers another Air Crane to Korea Forest Service.  fireaviation.com.  Retrieved 10 August 2021 from link
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Helispot photo.  Helispot.  Retrieved 2010-12-20 from link
  9. ↑ the origins of Erickson Air-Crane.  Erickson Air-Crane, Inc. 2013.  Retrieved 26 January 2013 from link
  10. ↑ Evergreen S-64 spec. sheet.  Evergreen aviation.  Retrieved 26 January 2013 from link
  11. ↑ Our Construction Helicopter Fleet | Helicopter Express.  Retrieved 2024-05-09 from www.helicopterexpress.com
  12. ↑ HTS Fleet.  htshelicopters.com.  Retrieved 26 January 2013 from link
  13. ↑ LAFD S-64.  emergencyrigs.net.  Retrieved 26 January 2013 from link
  14. ↑ L.A. County S-64.  Yahoo.  Retrieved 17 March 2013 from link
  15. ↑ Erickson Air-Crane buys Sun Bird aircraft from San Diego Gas & Electric.  (7 October 2012)  Helihub.  Retrieved 26 January 2013 from link
  16. ↑ Fleet.  Siller helicopters.  Retrieved 20 September 2013 from link
  17. ↑ NTSB report (LAX07TA001).  Ntsb.gov.  Retrieved 2015-09-07 from link
  18. ↑ Helicopters area of dgualdo.it (report excerpts in Italian).  Retrieved from link
  19. ↑ NTSB report – NYC07WA152.  (26 April 2007)  Ntsb.gov.  Retrieved 2010-12-20 from link
  20. ↑ NTSB report – WAS04WA012.  (26 August 2004)  Ntsb.gov.  Retrieved 2010-12-20 from link
  21. ↑ NTSB probes Air-Crane crash – September 9, 2004.  (9 September 2004)  Archive.mailtribune.com.  Retrieved 2010-12-20 from link
  22. ↑ Aircrane extracted after crashing into lake in Australia.  fireaviation.com.  Retrieved 2021-04-18 from link
  23. ↑ NTSB Report - WPR23FA302.  ntsb.gov.  Retrieved 2023-12-19 from link
  24. ↑ Frawley, Gerard: The International Directiory of Civil Aircraft, 2003–2004, page 195. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003. <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>ISBN 1-875671-58-7


Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "lower-alpha", but no corresponding <references group="lower-alpha"/> tag was found

Retrieved from "https://wiki.alsresume.com/index.php?title=Sikorsky_S-64_Skycrane&oldid=7867"