Years ago I read in R&W that the maintenance requirements of the 61 were about a third of the Super Puma. I wonder if this is a major factor in their decision.

Maybe they can send some Candian Forces wrenches to up the hrs LOL. Imagine what the performance will be if they install the Carson Blades !!.

S-61 Operating Costs
 

Does anyone know the operating costs per hour for a S-61. Also, I would to know the total fuel/flow per hour and cruising speed.

Thanks.

ATPMBA

For the last two 1050 - 1200 lbs/hour (1100 lbs/hour is a good average to use) depending on the weight - and 120kts (if you have VNO) and up to 135kts if you do not.

Nick Lappos' s-92 web site, http://www.s-92heliport.com/
has a comparison chart between the S-92 and H-3 (which is an S-61) ascribing a maintenance burden/hr of $1091 USD to the H-3 and $300 USD for fuel at $2 US per gallon.

Conklin & Dedecker have the commercial S61 in their data base. If you need actual operating costs, contact Mike Wiggins from Wiggins Group at 360-734-3699

The web site that plt_aeroeng refers to is quoting Conklin & Dedecker S-61 data, but the data is about 18 mos old now. I labled the chart H-3 because it was presented to US Military folks who know it as that.

My guess is only fuel costs have changed - yes, they have changed! in the States, costs have gone up almost double in the last year, is it the same in England and Oz?

plt_aeroeng your web reference captured the comma at the end, so it does not link properly, could you edit it"

S-61Fuel Flow
 

Fuel consumption is about 1050-1100 lbs@hour.
If flown at altitude and if you can acheived a TAS of 105-110kyts fuel flow can go down to about 950-1000 lbs@hr

Sea King Sling load
 

Could one or more of you knowledgeable folk let me know the sling load lift capability/capacity (mass) of the Sea King?
John

It used to be 6000lb on the hook, or 8000lb on the cargo swing/frame.

Mind you, those figures have very likely changed in the past few years since I played with them ;)

John(s),

Reassuringly, the figures remain the same - no metric bolleaux yet!!

VG

seaking mk3 RAF and seaking mk4 RN Semi Automatic Cargo Release Unit SACRU No3 mk1:

SWL - 10,000lb 4536kg
A/C limits 8,000 lb

hope this is the info you are looking for

TC
:ok:

Get your hands on a commercially operated, lightened, modified Sea-King (S61A) with Carson blades.

11,000 pound, external load limit. Get one that is good and light, minimal fuel and it will dead lift 11,000 pounds, within the 22,000 pound gross weight limitation. :ok:

S61's
 

Gents, any operators currently using the S61's on the North sea or are they all "retired"???? (if so where did they get the pilots for them)??
Thanks..

Bristows use one on the Captain contract as far as I know.

All the Coastguard helicopters are 61s too

The wise people fly them.

Why was the "workhorse of the North Sea" retired? I recall reading some time ago that the 61 didn't meet certain performance criteria. Is this true?

Did they ever put Carson blades on the North Sea machines?


Flight testing, he said, has shown that the new blades, which incorporate two airfoils and 12 degrees of twist, give the venerable Sikorsky workhorse 2,000 pounds more lift in a hover and 15 knots more airspeed in cruise than the standard metal blades for the same power settings. Carson has signed a contract with NASA for exclusive use of the airfoils.

Frank Carson, owner and CEO, said the blades would be available by the end of this year. He estimated the price for a set of five blades at $1.1 million, but said he plans to make the blades available to other commercial operators at an hourly rate not yet determined.

Still in the works are new tail rotor blades based on the same airfoils, which Carson expects to have flying by the end of the year. These, he said, will provide the aircraft with an extra 400 pounds of lift in a hover. The company is also working with Boundary Layer Research to develop tailboom strakes for the S-61. And Carson is also researching a main landing gear modification, which would replace the S-61’s double wheels with a Black Hawk-like single wheel and a narrower sponson to reduce drag, as well as an engine upgrade to give the aircraft more power.

The S-61 that Cougar has in the GOM for SAR has the Carson blades installed. Those guys say it's like a getting a new helicopter.