Newest helicopter engine powers UH-60M ground runs
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Joined: Jul 2021
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From: Southern United States
Newest helicopter engine powers UH-60M ground runs
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From: Canada
It would sure increase hot/high and performance OEI both on the 60 and 92 ( don’t really see a 92 upgrade until / unless SK withdraws digit and starts supporting it. But we are allowed to dream are we not? )
Gotta ask ….what the heck is that huge, ugly STD looking growth on the TR Hub? An immediate course of antibiotics looks to be in order!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2021
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From: Southern United States
[
Gotta ask ….what the heck is that huge, ugly STD looking growth on the TR Hub? An immediate course of antibiotics looks to be in order![/QUOTE]
Funniest thing I’ve read so far today🤣. I reckon it’s for data collection/telemetry for all the testing, would love it if someone who has experience with such things could comment on what kind of data is collected for a program like this.
FltMech
Gotta ask ….what the heck is that huge, ugly STD looking growth on the TR Hub? An immediate course of antibiotics looks to be in order![/QUOTE]
Funniest thing I’ve read so far today🤣. I reckon it’s for data collection/telemetry for all the testing, would love it if someone who has experience with such things could comment on what kind of data is collected for a program like this.
FltMech
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
Are they planning to use the extra power? If so they may want strain gauge data on the tail rotor in flight at higher gross weights.
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From: Texas
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2021
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From: Southern United States
that I haven’t seen addressed anywhere: how much more power can the current UH-60M drivetrain handle? And then there are airframe limits so can the power be used with an increased useful load?
Fltmech
Joined: Aug 2009
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From: Texas
I am going to toss this out there: there has been talk off and on for the last few years about a thing someone calls "Blackhawk +" which would include a transmission that can handle more than the current one. Mech, have you heard of this?
IIRC a five-pack (Main Mod, Acessory Mod x 2, Inpt Mod x 2, add 2 gens and two pumps) costs about a million and a half dollars, but I may be off a bit.
A more robust one (Using Superfinished gears, probably) will likely cost double that.
And you need to buy over 2,000 of them. (Or maybe enough for about half of the fleet, you have to buy 1000 of them, plus spares).
And Valor is Coming.
And if you ratchet up the torque, how much growth in capability does the Tail Rotor have?
Not sure if a "wide chord blade" tail rotor blade variant would produce the added anti-torque needed at high power requirements.
IIRC a five-pack (Main Mod, Acessory Mod x 2, Inpt Mod x 2, add 2 gens and two pumps) costs about a million and a half dollars, but I may be off a bit.
A more robust one (Using Superfinished gears, probably) will likely cost double that.
And you need to buy over 2,000 of them. (Or maybe enough for about half of the fleet, you have to buy 1000 of them, plus spares).
And Valor is Coming.
And if you ratchet up the torque, how much growth in capability does the Tail Rotor have?
Not sure if a "wide chord blade" tail rotor blade variant would produce the added anti-torque needed at high power requirements.
Joined: Oct 2019
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From: Florida
That is a big HP increase….nice.
It would sure increase hot/high and performance OEI both on the 60 and 92 ( don’t really see a 92 upgrade until / unless SK withdraws digit and starts supporting it. But we are allowed to dream are we not? )
Gotta ask ….what the heck is that huge, ugly STD looking growth on the TR Hub? An immediate course of antibiotics looks to be in order!
It would sure increase hot/high and performance OEI both on the 60 and 92 ( don’t really see a 92 upgrade until / unless SK withdraws digit and starts supporting it. But we are allowed to dream are we not? )
Gotta ask ….what the heck is that huge, ugly STD looking growth on the TR Hub? An immediate course of antibiotics looks to be in order!
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 367
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From: Land of the Angles
I am going to toss this out there: there has been talk off and on for the last few years about a thing someone calls "Blackhawk +" which would include a transmission that can handle more than the current one. Mech, have you heard of this?
While ITEP addressed engine improvements, there was a program involving both Bell and Sikorsky to do much the same thing for the transmissions, which was the FARDS Program (Future Advanced Rotorcraft Drive System) and looked at ways to improve the drive system power-to-weight ratio, reduce production, operating and support costs, lower noise etc, and automatically detect critical failures.
I believe Sikorsky were looking to fit it to the current fleet of 60’s, as well as an option for the FVL Program, but in spite of lots of findings, I have not seen any news for a few years now.
Thinking ITEP and if you know the S-76B and S-76D at all, you will know only too well the resulting airframe structural problems and modifications required, as a result of installing lots more engine power, so I’d be interested to know what Sikorsky has done to the ITEP 60M demo platform currently undergoing ground tests, in order to cope with all the extra power?
While ITEP addressed engine improvements, there was a program involving both Bell and Sikorsky to do much the same thing for the transmissions, which was the FARDS Program (Future Advanced Rotorcraft Drive System) and looked at ways to improve the drive system power-to-weight ratio, reduce production, operating and support costs, lower noise etc, and automatically detect critical failures.
I believe Sikorsky were looking to fit it to the current fleet of 60’s, as well as an option for the FVL Program, but in spite of lots of findings, I have not seen any news for a few years now.
Thinking ITEP and if you know the S-76B and S-76D at all, you will know only too well the resulting airframe structural problems and modifications required, as a result of installing lots more engine power, so I’d be interested to know what Sikorsky has done to the ITEP 60M demo platform currently undergoing ground tests, in order to cope with all the extra power?
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Australia
MH-60M with the 160th are already running the CT7-8 (T-706) @ 2600 HP, fantastic Hot/High performance but easy to over torque MGB and TR efficiency at altitude (and the BH has one of the most effective T/R's of any aircraft I've worked on), I think its just a case of flying it like a normal Helo with limits not like most BH drivers over the years and just rip the power in.
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Poplar Grove, IL, USA
I believe that they did not. The problem, back when I was in ground test, is there is an extensive and expensive requalification to up the power. And, it affects pretty much every dynamic component.
