Sikorsky unveils its new King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter

This is great news in my community Sikorsky employees 12,000 plus and over 15,000 sub contractors in the area. I have many friends that work there. I see Black Hawks flying over my house all the time . Can't wait to see these big birds. OOPS should have mentioned my cousin a engineer for 35 years their designed the heads up display.

It doesn't look much different than its predecessor, but when Marine Corps pilots get their hands on the controls of Sikorsky's new CH-53K heavy lift helicopter, they will quickly realize the aircraft is more powerful and can do more than the CH-53E they currently fly.

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From our local paper
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pics artists impressions?

originally posted by: TritonTaranis
pics artists impressions?

Click on the links!

That is a beast. These things are rather large, too. I have a picture from an airshow at Andrews AFB where an airman is sitting quite comfortably on the domed rotor hub cover of a current model (for some reason the picture/illustration doesn't show one on this variant).

edit: I probably shouldn't call it a "variant" since it looks like it is almost a new design.

So when it is lifting something real heavy with that composite skin, will the stress on the coptor cause it to be brittle when carrying something" Will a bullet shatter the composite?

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: TritonTaranis
pics artists impressions?

Click on the links!

Ahh, ok... the links are there now

It looks kinda dated IMO, I'm surprised it doesn't have dual rotaries

originally posted by: rickymouse
So when it is lifting something real heavy with that composite skin, will the stress on the coptor cause it to be brittle when carrying something" Will a bullet shatter the composite?

The weight of the load would be handled by a structure under the rotor shaft, I would assume, and not attached to the skin. I'm sure the engineers have thought of vibration consequences to the composite materials as well.

A bullet would put a hole in it, like it would an aluminum skin.

a reply to: ScientiaFortisDefendit

I'm pretty sure that the design of the framework of the copter would incorporate flex factors in it. Most every lightweight lifting designs do that. Now aluminum on the skin would flex with it, the same with the composite, but the composite can't flex as much, which I would assume would result in more tension energy in the shell. An impact, like that of a bullet, might cause it to crack easier. The composite could be designed for that though. I am sure it is not like the composites I am used to seeing.

So this is made to lift loads inside it for the most part? I kinda envisioned it looking like the chinook with dual rotors.

We have used Erickson air cranes a few times to set air handlers and they are pretty big, 78 ft. tip to tip on rotors I believe. Not sure how their lifting capacity measures up to this big dog though. We have used other construction helis also but Erickson is the big dog in construction air cranes.

a reply to: tinner07
Found that for you:

The Skycrane can hold a payload of 20,000 lb

This new CH-53K has a payload of 35,000 lb. Tip to tip the rotor is 79 ft.

a reply to: Cyprex No the K model has a max load of 12,200kg or about 26,900lbs. That's double the E models capacity, and with triple the range with a slung load. The whole rotorcraft weighs 39,900lbs at max take-off weight.

LEE

They have completed rotorless testing of the rotor head, and engines, and are working on testing with the rotors installed, on a non-flyable test article. The Navy has ordered three more flight test articles recently.

Helicopter? Now this is a helicopter:



Mi-26

44,090 lbs cargo capacity, 105' rotor diameter.

en.wikipedia.org...-26.29