Sikorsky H-92 Superhawk

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sikorsky H-92 Superhawk

Type	Medium-lift transport/utility helicopter
Manufacturer	Sikorsky
Maiden flight	December 1998
Status	Active service
Primary user	Canadian Forces
Produced	2000s-present
Unit cost	USD $15,300,000
Variants	Sikorsky S-92

The Sikorsky H-92 Superhawk is a medium lift twin engine helicopter manufactured by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. The H-92 is the military version of the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter and is an evolution of Sikorsky’s S-70 US Army Black Hawk and US Navy Seahawk helicopters. It is available in a 19-seat passenger commercial version, a 22 troop utility transport, and a number of mission-specific configurations including Search and Rescue and VIP transportation.

The S-92 took its maiden flight in December 1998 at the Sikorsky Development Flight Centre, West Palm Beach, Florida. FAA FAR part 29 certification was received in December 2002. European Aviation Safety Agency/Joint Aviation Authorities (EASA/JAA) certification was received in June 2004. The first S-92 was delivered to launch customer Petroleum Helicopters in September 2004.

The H-92 is not an official designation of the US Armed Forces, but rather a Sikorsky company name based on the model number S-92.

1 Variants
2 Design
3 Users
4 Specifications (H-92)
- 4.1 General characteristics
- 4.2 Performance
5 References
6 External links
7 Related content

[edit] Variants

The H-92 Superhawk is the military variant which has been demonstrated to the US Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The H-92 has more powerful GE CT7-8 C engines, rated at 2,300 kW (3,070shp). The search and rescue variant provides space for seats, litters, auxiliary fuel and SAR emergency equipment.

In July 2004, the Superhawk was selected by Canada for its Maritime Helicopter Programme (MHP) as the CH-148 Cyclone. Twenty-eight helicopters were ordered, with the first scheduled to enter service by January 9, 2009 ^[1] five weeks later than originally scheduled (November 2008).^[2]

[edit] Design

The H-92 has a metal and composite airframe. The four-bladed articulated composite main rotor blade is wider and has a longer radius than the S-70 Blackhawk. The tapered blade tip sweeps back and angles downward to reduce noise and increase lift. In response to requests for additional cabin space, Sikorsky has increased the cabin length of the final prototype by 41 cm, reduced the height of the tail pylon and relocated the horizontal stabiliser. Tethered hover flight has recorded 31,000 lb of lift generated, both in and out of hover effect.

A number of safety features such as flaw tolerance, bird strike capability and engine burst containment have been incorporated into the design. An active vibration system ensures comfortable flight and acoustic levels are well below certification requirements.

[edit] Users

Military Orders include:

Canadian Forces – 28

A USAF SAR version was proposed, however Sikorsky lost to the Boeing HH-47, a Chinook Helicopter modified for Combat SAR.

[edit] Specifications (H-92)

This aircraft article has not been updated to WikiProject Aircraft's current standards. Please see this page for more details.

[edit] General characteristics

2005 Base price: $15,300,000
Crew: two pilots
Capacity: up to 22 troops
Fuselage length: 68 ft 6 in (20.88 m)
Main rotor diameter: 58 ft 1 in (17.71 m)
Height: 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m)
Main rotor area: 2,650 ft² (246 m²)
Empty: 15,965 lb (7,257 kg)
Loaded: 25,944 lb (11,793 kg)
Maximum takeoff: 28,241 lb (12,837 kg)
Powerplant: 2x General Electric CT7-8C turboshafts, 3,000 shp (2,238 kW) each