S-92 Update and Pilot Report
By David M. North
September 28, 2003
S-92 READY FOR OPS
Sikorsky Aircraft's S-92 helicopter is poised to enter the marketplace early next year, but more importantly for the company, it is in the right place at the right time to be a contender in the next competition for a helicopter to meet presidential travel requirements.
The right time for the medium-lift helicopter has been delayed over the years from 1992, when it was conceived. However, the S-92 evolved from its initial design to a more capable machine when it was launched at the Paris air show in 1995. The prediction at that time was for certification in early 2000. Up until 1998, certification was planned for the third quarter of 2000.
Even in 2000, after first flight of the S-92 in December 1998, FAA certification was planned for 2001 with deliveries to begin in April 2002. At about the same time, Sikorsky was not having much luck winning competitions from Canada, Sweden and elsewhere in Europe for military versions of the S-92, and faced similar disinterest from the civil market, so it initiated a design change.
The S-92's cabin length was increased to accommodate a larger side door and the tail rotor pylon was reduced in length. These modifications provided for a flatter hover attitude, thus improving visibility during operations in confined spaces as well as offering better bird protection. The Connecticut-based company achieved FAA approval for the S-92 in December 2002 and initial deliveries of the S-92 are now slated to begin in early 2004. There are some operational points missing from the original certification, such as natural icing, which are scheduled for completion prior to delivery of the first production helicopter.
The delay in the program also helped Sikorsky to bring the S-92 up to the most current FAA and European Joint Airworthiness Regulations, meeting FAR/JAR Part 29, up through amendment 45. This standard allows for flaw-tolerant design, fuel separation/protection and increased bird strike requirements, along with burst protection from engine turbine fragments.
Sikorsky officials are quick to point out these attributes of the S-92 as they go up against the Agusta Westland EH-101 for the coveted presidential helicopter contract, an award that is considered more prestigious than money-making. These officials claim that while the S-92 complies 100% with current FARs, the EH-101, certified in 1993, complies with less than 70% of the current rules.
AGUSTA WESTLAND has teamed with Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter to offer a version of the EH-101, the US101, as a presidential service option. Bell Helicopter may also offer the V-22 as a possibility, but many industry officials believe the timing is not ripe for a tilt-rotor to serve in that role. And while a Sikorsky helicopter has been the presidential means of transport since 1957, the US101 with its U.S. support is seen to be a formidable competitor. The Sikorsky UH-34 was used from 1957-62, the VH-3A was flown until 1977 and the VH-3D and VH-60N are being used concurrently through a planned 2014 and 2020 respectively. However, those dates could alter due to aging airframe concerns.
I was fortunate to be able to fly the No. 4 prototype from Le Bourget during this year's Paris air show. The No. 4 is the avionics helicopter and first flew in October 2001. All told, Sikorsky has put more than 1,900 flight hours on the four flying helicopters. The flight was with Robert Spaulding, the Sikorsky S-92 chief project pilot. While I have pilot time in the Bell-Boeing V-22, a Canadian Research Center Bell 412HP and a Maryland State Police Eurocopter Dauphin, I do not consider myself a helicopter pilot.
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