Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

Sikorsky rolls out CH-53K

Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

Sikorsky rolls out CH-53K

Old 15th Mar 2016, 17:35
  #61 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes on 8 Posts
Coincidentally

Seeing that "141kt" figure also sent me to the Sikorsky site, which then led to sidetracked browsing of their quite detailed Rotary Wing Legacy area where I saw this: "In 1956 a Marine HR2S-1 helicopter set 3 World records: a speed record without payload of 162.7 mph (141.4 kts); an altitude record of..."
Vzlet is offline  
Old 15th Mar 2016, 23:24
  #62 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Arlington, Tx. US
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes on 7 Posts
Lone,

The V-22 is cheap compared what the 53K will cost. As to the low speed I have never seen Sikorsky put out conservative numbers. Is the slow speed related to the some compromise they had to do with the transmission to make the redesign acceptable or something with the rotor?

The Sultan
The Sultan is offline  
Old 16th Mar 2016, 04:28
  #63 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 601
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The 53K will be a very good and reliable heavy lift rotorcraft eventually. There was a big jump in performance between the 53E and 53K models. The V-22 had quite a few development issues, yet it has turned out to be a very nice rotorcraft.
riff_raff is offline  
Old 4th Apr 2016, 16:17
  #64 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Under a recently defunct flight path.
Age: 77
Posts: 1,370
Received 20 Likes on 12 Posts
CH-53K's entry into low-rate production delayed eight months

In Flight Global today:-
CH-53K's entry into low-rate production delayed eight months

The Sikorsky CH-53K’s entry into low-rate production has been delayed again, this time by eight months to February 2017, because of gearbox failures last year and the late delivery of parts from suppliers, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports in its annual assessment of Pentagon weapon projects.

The King Stallion development effort achieved first flight last October – "nearly three years later than originally planned" and five years after completing its critical design review.

In January, the second test model began flying at Sikorsky's facility in West Palm Beach, Florida and the GAO report notes that it contains the improved gearbox that was first trialled on a ground test vehicle.

“The unexpected redesigns of the aircraft's various gearboxes, as well as the late delivery of some components, have delayed delivery of the remaining two engineering design model test aircraft,” the GAO states in its 31 March report. “This has created delays at the production facility where parts are received from vendors, which is expected to impact the flight test schedule.”

The supersized King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter will replace the US Marine Corps' Sikorsky CH-53E, which was introduced in the 1980s and has anticipated service life of 41 years.

The cost of developing the aircraft has grown by 44% from $4.7 billion to $6.8 billion since 2005 and the procurement estimate for 200 aircraft stands at $19 billion.

The date for completion of operational testing shifted nine months since the GAO's 2015 report, from September 2018 to June 2019.

Despite gearbox troubles and the reported production issues, the Marines still expect to have the first war-ready squadron in place by July 2019..

Sikorsky officials said at a recent press briefing that the CH-53K flight test programme expects to log about 100h in 2016.

The Lockheed Martin-owned helicopter manufacturer expects to complete the second and third flight test aircraft this year, to support performance, propulsion and avionics flight qualification.

US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) reported on 24 March that the King Stallion recently demonstrated its advertised speed of 140kts with 15° angle-of-bank turns.

“This marked the last test flight in direct mode,” NAVAIR says. “The primary flight control system work up included 120kts, climbs and descents and hovering pedal turns.”
Lyneham Lad is online now  
Old 4th Apr 2016, 18:53
  #65 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Arlington, Tx. US
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes on 7 Posts
US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) reported on 24 March that the King Stallion recently demonstrated its advertised speed of 140kts with 15° angle-of-bank turns.
Wow those are impressive performance numbers for a 1950's rotorcraft. Can not wait for SASLESS to explain why these are great while at V-22's 300Kts is rubbish.

The Sultan
The Sultan is offline  
Old 4th Apr 2016, 19:38
  #66 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Texas
Age: 64
Posts: 7,131
Received 319 Likes on 204 Posts
Originally Posted by The Sultan
Wow those are impressive performance numbers for a 1950's rotorcraft.
How familiar are you with the timelines of actual flight test programs?


Program set back ... gee, what modern program isn't running into this? It appears that pushing the edge of the performance and payload envelopes keeps being difficult.
Good thing the V-22 never had any problems during development ... (oh, wait, V-22 isn't actually on topic in this discussion).
But look at what the Marines get for sticking with it, the V-22, no matter the criticisms and no matter the set backs.
A good bird.
Here's a thought: they'll get the same with the 53K. A good bird that hauls loads of stuff. (IIRC, they aren't going for speed as the major metric with 53K, that's what Avenger and Defiant are chasing after)
Lonewolf_50 is offline  
Old 4th Apr 2016, 20:09
  #67 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Arlington, Tx. US
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes on 7 Posts
Lone

I was talking speed and bank angle. I am sure the bank angle will increase, but the reported max speed by Sikosky is 142 knots!

I apologize to 1950 helicopter designers the max speed for the S-58 was 150 kts, so the 53K's reported max of 142 is poor by the standards of the 50's.

The Sultan
The Sultan is offline  
Old 5th Apr 2016, 14:07
  #68 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Texas
Age: 64
Posts: 7,131
Received 319 Likes on 204 Posts
Originally Posted by The Sultan
, but the reported max speed by Sikosky is 142 knots!
Yeah, that's a puzzler, given the speed the E was capable of.
Lonewolf_50 is offline  
Old 5th Apr 2016, 16:45
  #69 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: surfing, watching for sharks
Posts: 4,067
Received 43 Likes on 28 Posts
FFS Sultan, let it run through the test program.
West Coast is offline  
Old 5th Apr 2016, 23:45
  #70 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Arlington, Tx. US
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes on 7 Posts
WC

If you scan the threads it is NAVAIR and Sikorksy press releases which keep stating the surprising low max speed of 142 Knots. One would expect a press release, especially from Sikorksy, would say that the envelope expansion is paused at 140 Knots for tests before expanding to the originally published speed of 170 K. None of them have. So right now 142 Kts is the ships PR max speed. Numerous have commented that this is strange. Ass a tax payer one would expect the an 53K with no external load to at least keep up with the UH-1Y.

The Sultan
The Sultan is offline  
Old 6th Apr 2016, 06:53
  #71 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 601
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'm sure the 53K will eventually operate at speeds well above that of the 53E. After all, the 53K has around 9000hp more available than the 53E.
riff_raff is offline  
Old 28th Mar 2018, 17:41
  #72 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: The Alps
Posts: 3,127
Received 93 Likes on 49 Posts
CH-53K arrived in Europe

It has arrived today, in Germany ahead of next month's ILA,

cheers

chopper2004 is offline  
Old 30th Apr 2018, 04:20
  #73 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: The Alps
Posts: 3,127
Received 93 Likes on 49 Posts
Here she is, my photos first prodcution a/c making its first international debut ...mid week at ILA,




cheers



























































chopper2004 is offline  
Old 30th Apr 2018, 13:45
  #74 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: virginia, USA
Age: 56
Posts: 1,060
Received 15 Likes on 10 Posts
Thanks chopper. Those sponsons are indeed huge.

Any comment on the flight display? Aggressive or routine? I would imagine they will want to show some underslung loads off.
sandiego89 is offline  
Old 30th Apr 2018, 15:40
  #75 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: New Braunfels, TX
Age: 70
Posts: 1,954
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by The Sultan
Lone
I was talking speed and bank angle. I am sure the bank angle will increase, but the reported max speed by Sikosky is 142 knots!
The Sultan
With that limited a bank angle and airspeed, perhaps this are figures for flight with an external slung load??
KenV is offline  
Old 30th Apr 2018, 16:47
  #76 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Lincs
Posts: 2,307
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by sandiego89
Thanks chopper. Those sponsons are indeed huge.

Any comment on the flight display? Aggressive or routine? I would imagine they will want to show some underslung loads off.
TEEEJ is offline  
Old 1st May 2018, 13:57
  #77 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: New Braunfels, TX
Age: 70
Posts: 1,954
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by TEEEJ
Looks like it flew well over 15 degrees of bank during the flight demonstration. Hard to say for sure about the speed, but the "high speed fly-by" looked faster than 142 knots.
KenV is offline  
Old 1st May 2018, 14:41
  #78 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Maryland, USA
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes on 8 Posts
...with the gear down the entire flight.
Vzlet is offline  
Old 1st Feb 2019, 14:11
  #79 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Under a recently defunct flight path.
Age: 77
Posts: 1,370
Received 20 Likes on 12 Posts
Rotary-winged version of F-35? On Aviation Week.

CH-53K facing new cost & schedule pressures: DOT&E
Lyneham Lad is online now  
Old 2nd Feb 2019, 02:46
  #80 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Australia
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Lyneham Lad
Rotary-winged version of F-35? On Aviation Week.

CH-53K facing new cost & schedule pressures: DOT&E
Source document here -> http://www.dote.osd.mil/pub/reports/.../2018ch53k.pdf
2805662 is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.