S-92 Update and Pilot Report
By David M. North
September 28, 2003
S-92 READY FOR OPS
Sikorsky Aircraft's S-92 helicopter is poised to enter the
marketplace early next year, but more importantly for the company,
it is in the right place at the right time to be a contender in the
next competition for a helicopter to meet presidential travel
requirements.
The right time for the medium-lift helicopter has been delayed over
the years from 1992, when it was conceived. However, the S-92
evolved from its initial design to a more capable machine when it
was launched at the Paris air show in 1995. The prediction at that
time was for certification in early 2000. Up until 1998,
certification was planned for the third quarter of 2000.
Even in 2000, after first flight of the S-92 in December 1998, FAA
certification was planned for 2001 with deliveries to begin in
April 2002. At about the same time, Sikorsky was not having much
luck winning competitions from Canada, Sweden and elsewhere in
Europe for military versions of the S-92, and faced similar
disinterest from the civil market, so it initiated a design
change.
The S-92's cabin length was increased to accommodate a larger side
door and the tail rotor pylon was reduced in length. These
modifications provided for a flatter hover attitude, thus improving
visibility during operations in confined spaces as well as offering
better bird protection. The Connecticut-based company achieved FAA
approval for the S-92 in December 2002 and initial deliveries of
the S-92 are now slated to begin in early 2004. There are some
operational points missing from the original certification, such as
natural icing, which are scheduled for completion prior to delivery
of the first production helicopter.
The delay in the program also helped Sikorsky to bring the S-92 up
to the most current FAA and European Joint Airworthiness
Regulations, meeting FAR/JAR Part 29, up through amendment 45. This
standard allows for flaw-tolerant design, fuel
separation/protection and increased bird strike requirements, along
with burst protection from engine turbine fragments.
Sikorsky officials are quick to point out these attributes of the
S-92 as they go up against the Agusta Westland EH-101 for the
coveted presidential helicopter contract, an award that is
considered more prestigious than money-making. These officials
claim that while the S-92 complies 100% with current FARs, the
EH-101, certified in 1993, complies with less than 70% of the
current rules.
AGUSTA WESTLAND has teamed with Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter
to offer a version of the EH-101, the US101, as a presidential
service option. Bell Helicopter may also offer the V-22 as a
possibility, but many industry officials believe the timing is not
ripe for a tilt-rotor to serve in that role. And while a Sikorsky
helicopter has been the presidential means of transport since 1957,
the US101 with its U.S. support is seen to be a formidable
competitor. The Sikorsky UH-34 was used from 1957-62, the VH-3A was
flown until 1977 and the VH-3D and VH-60N are being used
concurrently through a planned 2014 and 2020 respectively. However,
those dates could alter due to aging airframe concerns.
I was fortunate to be able to fly the No. 4 prototype from Le
Bourget during this year's Paris air show. The No. 4 is the
avionics helicopter and first flew in October 2001. All told,
Sikorsky has put more than 1,900 flight hours on the four flying
helicopters. The flight was with Robert Spaulding, the Sikorsky
S-92 chief project pilot. While I have pilot time in the
Bell-Boeing V-22, a Canadian Research Center Bell 412HP and a
Maryland State Police Eurocopter Dauphin, I do not consider myself
a helicopter pilot.
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