The D has had exhaust problems throughout development and testing. It also had problems with achieving rearward flight certification.

It is too heavy and too small. When fitted with a VIP interior and RIPS, it can carry 2 or3 pax only.

The Medium aircraft game has moved on, sadly, Sikorsky never realised it with the D model. The S-76C++ should have wound down production slowly until sales dried up. The D was Steve Finger's idea, was starved of funds during its Jeff Pino era development cycle as all the money went either to keep the stockholder's happy at the quarterly meetings with UTC or to fix the issues with the S-92.

Can anyone tell me what those protrusions are under each side of the forward fuselage ? :confused:

They look like steps to me

Steps, integrated with life rafts.

So I wonder if this is indeed bearing out in operation

http://www.flightglobal.com/assets/g...x?itemid=44192

I understand the original plan for the D was to stick an 18 inch plug in the middle and extend the cabin. TM told the rest above.

OK...I give up. Just how many S-76Ds have been delivered to Bristow. Reports say three but nine show up on the FAA register.

As far as I can tell from the latest financials, they have only taken three and the rest are delayed for unspecified reasons until next year.

More here: Bristow delays S-76D deliveries - 11/12/2014 - Flight Global

The three aircraft mentioned in the recent Flight article related to 2H FY14 deliveries only. Flight's own database currently shows nine Ds with Bristow, of which eight are listed as being in storage.

I/C

The discrepancy between the two is down to how the data is recorded, apparently. Most of the latter batch of Ds are in completion rather than necessarily with Bristow, however they have been registered to the operator on FAA documents, which is one of the sources Ascend relies on.

National Helicopters Services Ltd Trinidad
 

National Helicopters Services Ltd Trinidad

A S76 D was delivery today
N769N

The first one delivered in Africa is currently being re-assembled in Cape Town at Titan.

A second s76 d arrived on christmas eve to N.H.S.L and on old years day N.O.C Trinidad receive a s76d
2014

Plenty of S-76Ds available apparently, maybe some going cheap

The news that Sikorsky has opened an office in Houston to demonstrate the S-76D to the oil and gas industry does not feature other news that an operator beginning with B is allegedly trying to return S-76Ds to Sikorsky due to problems or alternatively is considering selling their S-76Ds

So, if you want a heavy, small cabin, non type IV escape window, non crash-worthy certified helicopter for your offshore workforce in these low oil price times at a bargain price, there may be some for sale

Returning S76D .. Not sure about that
 

Term..

A certain operated B are not returning their S76D's. They have just booked a whole year training at FSI for 76D for their crews. The aircraft may not operate for that company in the US, for the monent :)

EASA Certification for S76-D
 

I note that EASA have issued a revised Type Certificate data sheet for the S-76 to include the S-76D. See here: http://easa.europa.eu/system/files/d..._25Feb2015.pdf The maximum passenger seating capacity is currently 6 (with a possible option for 7), there is no icing clearance and no vertical profiles have been approved.

Looks OK for VIP operations but not for offshore.

This could explain why Britow delays its S-76D deliveries...
Bristow delays S-76D deliveries - 11/12/2014 - Flight Global

More to it than that....See the next issue of He#iData News for the facts learned at HeiExpo!

S76
 

Bristow are using the D models, not in the gulf, but in Africa. It's totally political. The aircraft performs well.....

The only D sim is at PBI with FSI and they are starting to get busy.