| S-70 series | |
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| Los Angeles County Fire Department S-70A Firehawk rescuing an injured hiker at Devil's Punchbowl near Palmdale, California | |
| Role | Medium-lift transport/utility helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Sikorsky Aircraft |
| First flight | 1974 |
| Introduced | 1979 |
| Status | Active service |
| Primary users | U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles County Fire Department Government Flying Service (Hong Kong) |
| Produced | 1970s-present |
| Variants | UH-60 Black Hawk SH-60 Seahawk HH-60 Pave Hawk HH-60 Jayhawk Mitsubishi SH-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 Blackhawk and spawning a large family in U.S. military service. Civilian versions, and some military versions are produced under various S-70 model designations.
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Development
The S-70 family was developed to meet a US Army requirement to replace the venerable UH-1 Iroquois family of utility medium-lift helicopters in 1972. Three prototypes were constructed, the first (YUH-60A) flying in October 1974, and 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. 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 engines.
Newer models are being engineered, which will extend the service life of both UH-60As and UH-60Ls well into the 2020s. They feature still more power and lift and state of the art electronic instrumentation, flight controls and aircraft navigation control.
The S-70 can perform a wide array of missions, including air cavalry, electronic warfare, and aeromedical evacuation: several versions are even 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 (1,170 kg) of cargo or sling load 9,000 lb (4,050 kg) of cargo. The S-70 is equipped with advanced avionics and electronics, such as the Global Positioning System.
The United States Navy received the first navalised 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 (75 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.
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. Brainerd Helicopters of Leesburg, Florida operates the S-70C Firehawk on wildfires under the "FirehawK" brand.
The Army also flies medical evacuation models which are configured as rotary winged medical suites. They also used the S-70 for special operations by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ("Night Stalkers") known as the MH-60K at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
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 is $5.9 million while the unit cost of the Air Force MH-60G Pave Hawk is $10.2 million.
Variants
H-60
- UH-60 Black Hawk: The basic military utility helicopter used by the US Army.
- SH-60 Seahawk: US Navy variant for search and rescue, maritime patrol, ASW, all-weather and day/night.
- HH-60 Pave Hawk: USAF heli-rescue variant for search and rescue, MEDEVAC, on day and night operations.
- MH-60 "Knighthawk": US Navy medium-heavy lift helicopter.
- HH-60 Jayhawk: United States Coast Guard variant for maritime patrol, interdiction, and search and rescue
- VH-60 Presidential Hawk: The US Presidential transport helicopter, Marine One.
S-70
The company name for the H-60/S-70 family is the S-70 Black Hawk
- S-70A Black Hawk: Military model for the export market.
- S-70A Firehawk: Firefighting variant of the UH-60L. Tank system designed and built by Aero Union in Chico, California.
- S-70A (N) Naval Hawk: Maritime variant that blends the S-70A Black Hawk and S-70B Seahawk designs.
- S-70B/C Seahawk: Maritime military model for the export market.
- S-70C Firehawk: Commercial variant
- S-70i Black Hawk: International military version
Derivatives
- Sikorsky S-92 - Civilian medium-lift derivative of the Black Hawk.
- H-92 Superhawk - Military version of the S-92.
- CH-148 Cyclone - Version of the H-92 for the Canadian Forces.
Operators
Non-military operators
- Government Flying Service (retired 2002)
- Los Angeles County Fire Department
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Drug Enforcement Administration
Specifications (S-70C Firehawk)
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See also
Related development
- UH-60 Black Hawk
- HH-60 Pave Hawk
- HH-60 Jayhawk
- MH-60 "Knight Hawk"
- SH-60 Seahawk
- VH-60 Presidental Hawk
- Mitsubishi SH-60
- Sikorsky S-92
- CH-148 Cyclone
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
References
- Leoni, Ray D. Black Hawk, The Story of a World Class Helicopter, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2007. ISBN 978-1-56347-918-2.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sikorsky S-70 |
- S-70 Black Hawk family page at Sikorsky.com
- S-70 Seahawk family page at Sikorsky.com
- S-70i page at Sikorsky.com
- Sikorsky UH-60/S-70 Black Hawk Family page on CentennialofFlight.gov
- Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk at FAQS.org
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