Originally Posted by
JimEli
So if the "cargo hook has a 10,000 lbs capability" but it has only been "tested to 8,000 lbs", it doesn't seem its a structural issue.
I would say the reverse. The 'tested' bit is on the airframe - not the hook itself. The hook will be rated to 10,000 lbs by its (third party) OEM and Sikorsky will have looked at the market to find suitable hooks that would allow the aircraft to carry 8,000 lbs as a design load maximum. I can't recall which OEM they use, but I see, for example, that Breeze Eastern market a hook with a 9,000 lbs limit, so that would be a good example of a suitable fit. Dart market hooks with a 25,000lbs rating, which would be overkill and unnecessarily heavy/bulky.