Sikorsky S-70

S-70/H-60 series
Los Angeles County Fire Department S-70A Firehawk sitting on the tarmac at Fox field
Role Medium-lift transport/utility helicopter
Manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft, Turkish Aerospace Industries (under Licence)[1]
First flight 1974
Introduction 1979
Status In service
Primary users U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Government Flying Service (Hong Kong)
See Operators below for others
Produced 1970s–present
Variants Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk
Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk
Sikorsky HH-60 Jayhawk
Mitsubishi H-60

The Sikorsky S-70 is a medium transport/utility helicopter family manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It was developed for the U.S. Army in the 1970s, winning a competition to be designated the UH-60 Black Hawk and spawning a large family in U.S. military service. New and improved versions of the UH-60 have been developed since. Civilian versions, and some military versions are produced under various S-70 model designations.

Development

The S-70 family was developed to meet a US Army requirement to replace the UH-1 Iroquois family of utility medium-lift helicopters in 1972. Three YUH-60A prototypes were constructed, with the first flying in October 1974. They were evaluated against the Boeing-Vertol YUH-61A. The YUH-60A was selected for production, and entered service as the UH-60A Black Hawk with the US Army in 1979.[2]

After entering service, the helicopter was modified for new missions and roles, including mine laying and medical evacuation. An EH-60 variant was developed to conduct electronic warfare and special operations aviation developed the MH-60 variant to support its missions.[3] In the late 1980s the model was upgraded to the UH-60L, which featured more power and lift with the upgrade to the -701C model of the GE T700 engine. The improved UH-60M model was developed in the early 2000s.[2] The UH-60M and its International version, the S-70i, include GPS navigation, a glass cockpit, an integrated Flight Management System, and a significant upgrade to the powertrain and rotor system adding both power and lift capability.

The S-70 can perform a wide array of missions, including air cavalry, electronic warfare, and aeromedical evacuation: several versions are used to transport the President of the United States, which while carrying the President is known as "Marine One". In air assault operations it can move a squad of 11 combat troops and equipment or carry the 105 mm M102 howitzer, thirty rounds of ammunition, and a six-man crew. Alternatively, it can carry 2,600 lb (1,200 kg) of cargo or sling load 9,000 lb (4,100 kg) of cargo. The S-70 is equipped with advanced avionics and electronics, such as the Global Positioning System.

HH-60G Pave Hawk

The United States Navy received the first navalized SH-60B Seahawk in 1983, and the SH-60F Ocean Hawk in 1988.

The HH-60G Pave Hawk is a highly modified version of the S-70 primarily designed to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel during war and equipped with a rescue hoist with a 250 ft (76 m) cable that has a 600 lb (270 kg) lift capability, and a retractable in-flight refueling probe. The United States Air Force received the MH-60G Pave Hawk in 1982.

The United States Coast Guard received the HH-60J Jayhawk in 1992. It utilizes the equipment of the HH-60G Pave Hawk on the navalized SH-60 platform.[4]

The S-70A Firehawk is a version of the S-70 designed for firefighting, rescue, medical evacuation, and external lift of bulky cargo and equipment. The Oregon National Guard was the first military organization in the world to add the Firehawk to its inventory; the Los Angeles County Fire Department was the first municipal organization.

The Army also flies medical evacuation models which are configured as rotary winged medical suites. It also uses the S-70 for special operations by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ("Night Stalkers") at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, designated as the MH-60K.

The Maple Hawk was a variant offered by Sikorsky to the Canadian Forces during the tender to replace the military's search and rescue helicopters.

The unit cost varies with the version. For example, the unit cost of the Army's UH-60L Black Hawk was $5.9 million while the unit cost of the Air Force MH-60G Pave Hawk was $10.2 million.

Variants

US Navy SH-60B Seahawk

H-60

S-70

A VH-60 flies over the Potomac

The company name for the H-60/S-70 family is the S-70 Black Hawk.

Derivatives

Operators

S-70C Firehawk at Fox Field, California
 Argentina
 Colombia
 Mexico
 Saudi Arabia
 Turkey
ROCAF S-70C Bluehawk
 United States

Former operators

 Hong Kong

Specifications (S-70i)

Data from Sikorsky[24]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development

Related lists

In Fiction

The Sikorsky S-70 Firehawk figures prominently in M. L. Buchman's Firehawks novel series and related short stories.[26]

References

Notes
  1. http://www.sikorsky.com/About+Sikorsky/News/Press+Details?pressvcmid=6444a6d57ed84410VgnVCM1000004f62529fRCRD
  2. 1 2 Bishop, Chris (2008). Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. Osprey Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-84176-852-6.
  3. Tomajczyk 2003, pp. 15–29.
  4. "SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopter". navy.mil. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  5. "Sikorsky breathes new life into PZL Mielec". Flight International, June 8, 2010.
  6. "First S-70i Helicopter Fully Assembled at Sikorsky Facility in Poland". Sikorsky, March 15, 2010.
  7. "American airplanes: Sikorsky". Aerofiles.com. 2009-04-26. Retrieved 2011-04-07.
  8. Sikorsky Helicopters - Helis.com
  9. "S-71 image". deviantart.com. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  10. "Sikorsky wins Turkish utility helicopter battle". FlightGlobal.com. 2011-04-21. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  11. "News". OnlineAMD.com. 2011-04-25. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  12. "Can Turkey Afford Its Extensive Defense Plans?". DefenseNews.com. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  13. "World Air Forces 2004". Flightglobal Insight. 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  14. "Presidential Sikorsky S-70A-30". Demand media. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  15. "Colombia requests nine more Black Hawks for counter-narcotics fight". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  16. "Mexican Police Receive UH-60M Black Hawks". Air International. Vol. 80 no. 3. March 2011. p. 28. ISSN 0306-5634.
  17. "Mexican State of Jalisco takes delivery of S-70i". helihub.com. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  18. "Black Hawki z Mielca w Arabii Saudyjskiej". altair.com. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  19. "Sayfalar - Bell 429 Album". Havacilik.pol.tr. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  20. "L.A. County Fire Air Operations". lacounty.gov. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
  21. "Black Hawk Made: A Peek Inside the Sikorsky Factory". wired.com. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  22. "CPB S-70". Demand media. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
  23. "Hong Kong Government Flying Service S-70". Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  24. S70-061_IBH_SS.pdf sikorsky.com
  25. "General Electric T700C".
  26. M. L. Buchman. "M. L. BUCHMAN". M. L. BUCHMAN.
Bibliography
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