-64 Skycrane

 
Type Aerial crane
Manufacturer Sikorsky
Erickson Air-Crane
Maiden flight 9 May 1962
Status Active
Primary user Erickson Air-Crane
Developed from CH-54 Tarhe

The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter. It is the civil version of the United States Army's CH-54 Tarhe. The S-64 Aircrane is the current production version, manufactured by the Erickson Air-Crane company.

Development

Under Sikorsky
The Sikorksy S-64 was designed as an enlarged version of the prototype flying crane helicopter, the Sikorsky S-60. The S-64 had a six-blade main rotor and was powered by two 4,050 shp (3020kW) JFTD-12A turboshaft engines. The prototype S-64 first flew on 9 May 1962 and was followed by two further examples for evaluation by the German armed forces. The Germans did not place an order but the United States Army placed an initial order for six S-64A helicopters (with the designation CH-54A Tarhe). A small number of the S-64A and S-64E variants were built by Sikorsky for the civil market.

Under Erickson
Originally a Sikorsky Aircraft product, the type certificate and manufacturing rights were purchased from them by Erickson Air-Crane in 1992.

Since that time, Erickson Air-Crane has become the manufacturer and world's largest operator of S-64 Aircranes and has made over 1,350 changes to the airframe, instrumentation, and payload capabilities of the helicopter. The Aircrane can be fitted with a 2,650-gallon (~10,000 litre) fixed retardant tank to assist in the control of bushfires, and it has acquitted itself admirably in this role.

So far, S-64 Aircranes have been sold to the Italian and Korean Forest Services for fire suppression and emergency response duties. Those in the Erickson Air-Crane fleet are leased worldwide to organizations, companies, and Federal Agencies for either short-term or longer term use in fire suppression, civil protection, heavy lift construction, and timber harvesting.

Erickson is manufacturing new S-64s from scratch as well as remanufacturing existing CH-54's to meet the needs of the firefighting and logging industries; thus the U.S. military could re-introduce new up-engined Skycranes to meet their 20-ton Sea Basing requirements. Erickson began the tradition of giving each S-64 an individual name, the most well known being "Elvis" used in fighting fires in Australia. Other operators, such as Siller Brothers have followed suit with their Sikorsky S-64E Andy's Pride. One Erickson S-64E nicknamed "Olga" was used to lift the top section of the CN Tower into place. 

Operators
 United States
Erickson Air-Crane
Evergreen Helicopters, Inc. - 1 S-64E
Helicopter Transport Services, Inc. - CH-54A
Siller Bros. Inc. - Yuba City, California  United States - 2 S-64E
 Italy
Italian Forest Service (Corpo Forestale Dello Stato) - 4 S-64F
 South Korea
Korea Forest Service - 2 S-64E (with 2 more on order)

Former operators
Columbia Helicopters  - Aurora, Oregon  United States

Specifications
General characteristics
Crew: 2 (pilot, co-pilot), plus room for one rear-facing observer
Capacity: up to 5 total persons
Payload: 20,000 lb (9,072 kg)
Length: 70 ft 3 in (21.41 m (fuselage))
Rotor diameter: 72 ft 0 in (21.95 m)
Height: 18 ft 7 in (5.67 m)
Disc area: 4070 ft² (378.1 m²)
Empty weight: 19,234 lb (8,724 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 42,000 lb (19,050 kg)
Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney JFTD12-4A (T73-P-1) turboshaft engines, 4,500 shp (3,555 kW) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 109 knots (mph, 203 km/h)
Cruise speed: 91 knots (mph, 169 km/h)
Range: 200 nm (230 mi, 370 km) max fuel and reserves
Service ceiling: 9,000 ft (m)
Rate of climb: 1,330 ft/min (6.75 m/s)