Last Modified
January 18, 2010 @ 11:30 am 
First Black Hawk S-70i Nears Completion
Sikorsky BLACK HAWK
Aircraft serial number 0001 is in the final phases of assembly at the PZL Mielec plant in Poland. This new product model will be the first international version of the Black Hawk helicopter and boasts a 10 ton lifting capability. According to Sikorsky representatives, the price point for the S-70i puts it in competition with other manufacturer’s products only capable of 6 to 8 tons. According to a brochure located here, The S-70i will have a maximum speed of 195 kts, cruise of 149 and a range of 250 nm with a 20 minute reserve.
PFF – The main differences between the UH-60M and the S-70i are the drivetrain, the Mike having new composite spar wide-chord MRBs and the ‘full’ version of the 701D powerplant (incl. new HMU & DECU), which together offer improved performance and range. The Mike also has the full HUMS system as standard.
The 195 kt ‘maximum speed’ quoted in the article is actually VNE. If you hit 195 kts on a regular basis, your maintenance crews ain’t going to be happy.
The PR itself is a non-event – remember that SAC issued a similar PR last June claiming that it was “preparing to deliver” the first S-434s to Saudi, but they didn’t actually get shipped until December. That’s what you get when you allow PR folk to breed.