S-64 Skycrane

infobox Aircraft
name = S-64 Skycrane/Aircrane
type = Aerial crane
manufacturer = Sikorsky Erickson Air-Crane



caption = Erickson S-64E, "Olga"
designer =
first flight = 9 May 1962
introduced =
retired =
status = Active
primary user = Erickson Air-Crane
more users =
produced =
number built =
unit cost =
developed from = CH-54 Tarhe
variants with their own articles =

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.

Development

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.

Under Erickson

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.

Variants

ikorsky Skycrane

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

;S-64E :

Erickson Aircrane

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

Operators

;USA
* Erickson Air-Crane
* Evergreen Helicopters, Inc. – 1 S-64E
* Helicopter Transport Services, LLC – CH-54A, CH-54B
* Siller Bros. Inc. Yuba City, California – 2 S-64E;CAN
* Canadian Air-Crane, British Columbia – 1 S-64E, 1 S-64F ;ITA
* Italian Forest Service (Corpo Forestale Dello Stato) – 4 S-64F ;KOR
* Korea Forest Service – 4 S-64E [ [http://www.rotor.com/Default.aspx?tabid=510&newsid905=53829 HAI Rotornews] ]

Former operators

;USA
* Columbia Helicopters [ [http://www.helispot.com/qqq/photo/02211 Helispot photo] ]

Incidents

* "Gypsy Lady" – crashed in Rose Valley, California late 2006. [ [http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=LAX07TA001&rpt=p NTSB report in pdf] ] [ [http://www.inciweb.org/incident/pictures/full/475/0/ Inciweb - Helitanker Accident At Rose Valley] ] Rebuilt and back in service.
* "Shirley Jean" – S-64F; sold to European Air-Crane c.2006 as I-SEAD; crashed in Italy on 2007-04-26. [http://www.dgualdo.it/isead-report.htm Helicopters area of dgualdo.it (report excerpts in Italian)] Aircraft was destroyed in a post crash fire. [ [http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20070806X01110&key=1 NTSB report — NYC07WA152] ]
* "Aurora" – named after Aurora State Airport. Home to Columbia Helicopters, former owner of aircraft. [ [http://www.helispot.com/qqq/photo/02211 Helispot photo] ] Written off August 26, 2004 due to inflight breakup. [ [http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20041028X01713&key=1 NTSB report — WAS04WA012] ]

pecifications (S-64E)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=copter
jet or prop?=prop

ref=The International Directory of Civil Aircraft Frawley, Gerard: "The International Directiory of Civil Aircraft, 2003-2004", page 195. Aerospace Publications Pty Ltd, 2003. ISBN 1-875671-58-7]

crew=2 (pilot, co-pilot), plus room for one rear-facing observer
capacity=up to 5 total persons
payload main=20,000 lb
payload alt=9,072 kg

length main= 70 ft 3 in
length alt= 21.41 m (fuselage)
span main=72 ft 0 in
span alt=21.95 m
height main=18 ft 7 in
height alt= 5.67 m
area main= 4070 ft²
area alt= 378.1 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main=19,234 lb
empty weight alt=8,724 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=42,000 lb
max takeoff weight alt=19,050 kg
more general=

engine (prop)=Pratt & Whitney JFTD12-4A (T73-P-1)
type of prop=turboshaft engines
number of props=2
power main=4,500 shp
power alt=3,555 kW
max speed main= 109 knots
max speed alt= 126 mph, 203 km/h
max speed more=
cruise speed main= 91 knots
cruise speed alt= 105 mph, 169 km/h
cruise speed more=
range main= 200 nm
range alt= 230 mi, 370 km
range more= max fuel and reserves
ceiling main= 9,000 ft
ceiling alt=2,743 m
climb rate main= 1,330 ft/min
climb rate alt= 6.75 m/s
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

armament=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* CH-54 Tarhe
* Sikorsky CH-54 survivors
* CH-53 Sea Stallion
* CH-53E Super Stallion

similar aircraft=
* CH-47 Chinook
* Mil Mi-10
* Mil Mi-6

sequence=
* S-60 - S-61 - S-62 - S-64 - S-65 - S-67 - S-69

lists=
* List of active military aircraft of the United States
* List of helicopters
* List of military aircraft of the United States

see also=
* Aerial crane
* Aerial firefighting
* Elvis (helicopter)

References

External links

* [http://www.ericksonaircrane.com/ Erickson Air-Crane website]
* [http://www.air-crane.com/index.php/ Canadian Air-Crane website]
* [http://www.fs.fed.us/fire/aviation/fixed_wing/airtankers/iab_list.pdf Air Tanker Listing]
* [http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgMakeModel.nsf/0/fbf9b39b37a76ac5862570c80050d610/$FILE/H40nm.pdf/ FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet]