Re: UK Coastguard SAR - Bristow out??
I suppose I have to break the silence!!
IF92's figures are OK. I would work on 17820 lb/8085 kg dry operating weight for an offshore (North Sea) S92, with a max gross shortly to be 26500 lb/12020 kg. Best range speed is around 138 TAS which will give around 1300 lb/590 kg per hour burn at 4000 feet ISA. Sea state 6 floats will add around 75 lb/34 kg I believe.
One point being missed in all this is that the North Sea S92s come with full blade deice (fitted and certified by FAA and Transport Canada but not yet by EASA) and with air conditioning. The EC225 operated by Bristow (and the CHC UK ones will be pretty well the same spec) have neither of these options. Not having air con on the 225 saves 125 kg (the 92 is around the same) and not having blade deice saves 187 kg for the blade deice system itself and a further 73 kg for the multipurpose air intakes, which are a requirement for the full icing clearance. Hence there is a total difference in dry weight of 385 kg/850 lb which would have to be added to the 225 to compare like with like. Of course the S92 has no limited icing clearance (and will probably never have one?) so it is not an option to remove the blade deice system.
Does that help to put some facts back in the debate?
Steve