S-64 Skycrane

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Skycrane redirects here. For the similarly named Flying Crane, see Hughes XH-17.
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

[edit] Development

S-64 dropping on the Ahorn Fire in Montana, September 2007. USFS photo
S-64 dropping on the Ahorn Fire in Montana, September 2007. USFS photo

[edit] Under Sikorsky

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.

[edit] Under Erickson

An Erickson Air-Crane S-64
An Erickson Air-Crane S-64
Sikorsky S-64E, Andy's Pride, owned by Siller Bros. Inc.
Sikorsky S-64E, Andy's Pride, owned by Siller Bros. Inc.
Italian Forest Service S-64F on display at the 2005 HAI HeliExpo
Italian Forest Service S-64F on display at the 2005 HAI HeliExpo
Erickson S-64, refueling at McNary Field, Salem, Oregon
Erickson S-64, refueling at McNary Field, Salem, Oregon

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 as well as remanufacturing existing CH-54s, thus the U.S. military could re-introduce new up-engined Aircranes 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. The Erickson S-64E nicknamed "Olga" was used to lift the top section of the CN Tower into place.

[edit] Variants

[edit] Sikorsky Skycrane

S-64
Twin-engined heavy-lift helicopter.
S-64A
Six test and evaluation helicopters for the US Army.
S-64E 

[edit] Erickson Aircrane

S-64E
Upgraded & certified CH-54A helicopters.
S-64F
Upgraded & certified CH-54B helicopters. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney JFTD12-5A engines.

[edit] Operators

Flag of the United States United States
Flag of Canada Canada
Flag of Italy Italy
  • Italian Forest Service (Corpo Forestale Dello Stato) – 4 S-64F
Flag of South Korea South Korea

[edit] Former operators

Flag of the United States United States

[edit] Incidents

[edit] Specifications (S-64E)

Orthographically projected diagram of the Sikorsky CH-54B Tarhe.

Data from The International Directory of Civil Aircraft [9]

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

[edit] See also

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

[edit] References

  1. ^ HAI Rotornews
  2. ^ Helispot photo
  3. ^ NTSB report in pdf
  4. ^ Inciweb - Helitanker Accident At Rose Valley
  5. ^ http://www.dgualdo.it/isead-report.htm Helicopters area of dgualdo.it (report excerpts in Italian)
  6. ^ NTSB report — NYC07WA152
  7. ^ Helispot photo
  8. ^ NTSB report — WAS04WA012
  9. ^ Frawley, Gerard: The International Directiory of Civil Aircraft, 2003-2004, page 195. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003. ISBN 1-875671-58-7

[edit] External links

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