Video: Sikorsky unveils next generation helicopter

AP, The Globe & Mail ^ | Tuesday, Apr. 26, 2011 | AP, The Globe & Mail

[BwanaNdege]

Sikorsky unveils next generation helicopter Tuesday, Apr. 26, 2011 11:52AM EDT Sikorsky is hoping to sell the Pentagon on some new technology it says will allow for faster, more agile attack helicopters.

[BwanaNdege]

Hopefully, this time the Pentagon will give this Sikorsky a fair evaluation, not like it's predecessor, the ABC, Advancing Blade Concept of the 1970's http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/sik_s-69.php or the original Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk (yep, a Sikorsky attack helo design) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-67_Blackhawk. The Soviet Mil-24 Hind was probably a rip-off of the S-67.

[BwanaNdege]

Sorry, the URLs didn’t automatically convert to HTML.

http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/sik_s-69.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_S-67_Blackhawk

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Seems like UAVs fill this same niche, cheaper and without endangering pilots, who are also expensive.

[Army Air Corps]

The Mi-24 was developed from the Mi-8 and conceived as a sort of flying IFV.

[flowerplough]

Hind was probably a rip-off of the S-67...

so this one isn’t the upcoming 250 knot counter-rotator with the pusher-prop tail?

[null and void]

UAVs aren’t very good at delivering troops at 10,000 ft

[gaijin]

I wish the had a pilot-optional config 4 super hi-endurance missions.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Doesn’t look big enough to hold very many troops.

[BwanaNdege]

Sorry, I was talking about two different helos. This video is the upcoming 250 knot counter-rotator with the pusher-prop tail.

[BwanaNdege]

Mil-24 (Sikorsky S-67 ripoff) was developed from the

Mil-8 (Sikorsky SH-3/S-61 ripoff) which grew out of the

Mil-4 (Sikorsky H-19 and later H-34 ripoff)

Hey, at least they had good taste!

[null and void]

According to the video they are going to make a larger version for that, this one being a necessary step in that direction.

Apparently our current inventory limits us to about half of Afghanistan, the new one with the higher ceiling will allow us to drop troops on 98% of the Afghan turf.

[Jack Deth]

Is it just me, or does Sikorsky’s latest offering look and act a heck of a lot like their recently failed ‘Cherokee’ project from the 1990s?

Jut askin’.

Jack.

[null and void]

Oh, and I agree with your assessment, UAVs are better for most uses.

[Jack of all Trades]

I remember seeing the S-69 ABC do a fly over at the family day air show sometime in the 70’s. I also have or had pictures of the S-67 Blackhawk doing a loop over Long Island sound. Really cool aircraft.

[SJSAMPLE]

RA-66 Comanche?

[BwanaNdege]

Do you mean the Boeing/Sikorsky Comanche?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing/Sikorsky_RAH-66_Comanche

[BwanaNdege]

I was up at the Sikorsky factory back in the 70’s on a visit pertaining to the CH-53D. While there, they gave me the Grand Tour of the ABC.

It had THREE swashplates! One for each rotorhead and a third on the BOTTOM of the transmission to vary the relationship between the two main swashplates to give the helo YAW control!

Wild!

[McGruff]

New technology?

[Jack of all Trades]

My Father worked in propulsion engineering. He worked on the Blackhawk, the Black Hawk, and he put the third engine in the CH-53. Kind of wish I had made my career there too.

[bunkerhill7]

I saw the Sikorsky helicopters in 1944-45 in Conn. I called them ``Big Bugs``