Sikorsky Light Helicopter
 

SK sell S300 line to ?
Rotorcraft Services Group (RSG) in Fort Worth, Texas.

It's a done deal according to Vertical

https://www.verticalmag.com/news/sik...duct-line-rsg/

Interesting. I wonder if this effort will flourish or not. Same manager both at Schweizer and RSG according to the article.

Could be good news for the training world? Is there another two seat trainer which flies as well as a ‘300?

They will need a completely new approach to customer service, there were one or two at SK who were embarrassed by The Co's. approach hope they are the ones moving.

Learnt to fly on the 'C' and owned two.

Compromises on speed and storage space (although side baskets helpful), but a brilliant little helicopter with a sophisticated rotorhead, great handling, performance reserves and safety features.

I do hope it gets resurrected and evolved.

@ feathering tickles NO !!!!!!!

Ow yes there IS!!!!
 

Come on Specer17......what of the Cabri G2? Outstanding technology, sexy, robust, safe, autos like a 47 (shame about the donk only) :8 all in probably the number 1 Best trainer out there :ok: of course the 300 & 47 are also awesome & safe machines :D

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And don't forget Enstrom please !
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Also true.

Time is always of the essence.

The 300 has effectively been out of/or denied to the market for a decade.

In that time the market has selected others.... There has not been much sign that there has been a noteable surge by any of the others mentioned to fill the assumed void.

Like the improved Model 47 it seems that the gap in production will simply add another 'penny packet' production machine to the range of options vying against the Robinson range.

If they do start making the 300 again (either in China or the US), the critical thing will surely be the price. As trainers, the Cabri is tough but pricey, the R22 is cheap but not as robust (shall we say). Which to my mind does leave a gap to be filled. In the meantime, as 500e says, let's hope customer service improves for those of us with the old ones...

Sikorsky's Loss
 

This was surprising to me.

Sikorsky invested heavily to bring the 300 and 333 engineering up to standard. In the process, after discovering discrepancies in Schweitzer's certification records, they essentially re-certified the 333M model internally via QAB. Significant FEA and military flight envelope testing was performed at their WPB, FL location. In the end, they were not able to complete a production build of either model, internally or through vendors, without incurring a significant loss. This was at the least a significant motivation for the sale.

My understanding was SK bought Schweizer for its drone technology on the 333

hear hear...yes the Enstrom is a sweet beauty also :cool:

Deja Vu?
 

Dare we hope that RSG is as successful at reviving a Sikorsky orphan as Erickson has been?

I too, really like the 300C and would hate to see it fade away...

You mean the Firescout. They also bought Schweizer for: the light helicopter line, to use as a rapid prototyping center, and to have political representation in New York state. Later, they added the Hawkworks to complete UH60 L, M, and I models for foreign military customers.

Yet, at the beginning, Schweizer​ was able to. A small aircraft does not fare well using big aircraft company methods.

Don't forget all the X2 work that was done in Elmira in the $15 million upgraded completions/Hawk Works in 2007....only for the the entire Schweizer facility to be unceremoniously shuttered in 2012. Recall this was just after closing the other facility on the other side of the airport in 2010, with Sikorsky adamantly maintaining their commitment to the area. Much of the work was shuffled up to Keystone in beautiful Coatesville (boy, I do not miss that place).

The whole Schweizer saga is a pretty sad story.

@Vertical Freedom

Maybe I'm to old.:}

As you said SA a sad story, surprised if some can lay straight in bed