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S-97 also use a clutch in part to prevent the rear prop from spinning during ground operation (also in the (read) article :rolleyes: ).

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See the US Air Force’s new combat rescue helo fly for the first time

A Lockheed Martin subsidiary’s combat rescue helicopter took to the skies for the first time Friday.

The HH-60W helicopter — one of two that Sikorsky fully assembled — flew from the company’s West Palm Beach, Florida, test facility, the company said.

The U.S. Air Force plans to buy 112 HH-60W helicopters to replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk.

Source:
https://www.defensenews.com/"]Defense News.com[/url]

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Sikorsky test flies Black Hawk helicopter without a pilot

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., June 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A technology kit developed by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), was used for the first time to operate a Black Hawk helicopter with full-authority, fly-by-wire flight controls. The May 29 flight marked the official start to the flight test program for the soon-to-be optionally piloted aircraft. Follow-on flight testing aims to include envelope expansion throughout the summer leading to fully autonomous flight (zero pilots) in 2020.

View the Video


  • OPVBlackHawkFirstFlight2019-Sikorsky

"This technology brings a whole new dimension of safety, reliability and capability to existing and future helicopters and to those who depend on them to complete their missions," said Chris Van Buiten, Vice President, Sikorsky Innovations. "We're excited to be transforming a once mechanically controlled aircraft into one with fly-by-wire controls. This flight demonstrates the next step in making optionally piloted – and optimally piloted – aircraft, a reality."

This is the first full authority fly-by-wire retrofit kit developed by Sikorsky that has completely removed mechanical flight controls from the aircraft.*

Source:
UPI.com
https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2019...ogy#assets_all

*emphasizes are mine

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[...]Schultz says a joint Sikorsky and USMC flight-test campaign is "ahead of schedule in places and on schedule in others – and not behind on any", with more than 1,400h now accumulated and the three-engined type recording an availability rate of 91%. The company expects to soon fix an issue with exhaust gas ingestion encountered under some operating conditions by extending the length of the number two engine's nozzle, he adds, describing the update as "a really solid fix".

Source:
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/paris-additional-nations-poised-to-try-ch-53k-siko-459125/

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Australia to replace its Eurocopter Tiger Fleet with “a Proven and Mature, Off-The-Shelf” Attack Helicopter

Australia has issued a request for information (RFI) for 29 airframes to replace the Australian Army existing Tiger attack helicopter.

Under the Land 4503 program, the first 12 new rotorcraft must achieve initial operating capability (IOC) by 2026.

According to the RFI Australia wants to purchase 29 “proven and mature, off-the-shelf” armed reconnaissance helicopters of which five will be used for training operations. Initial Operational Capability of twelve helicopters (one squadron) is expected by 2026, with full operational capability from 2028.
[...]
Australia selected the current fleet of 22 Eurcopter/Airbus Helicopter Tigers in 2001 and the final Tiger was delivered (eighteen were built with Eurocopter Australian at Brisbane) to the Australian Army ten years later. The helicopters are based at Oakey (Qld) with the Army Aviation Training Centre, School of Army Aviation and at Robertson Barracks-Darwin with two operational squadrons, 161 and 162 Reconnaissance Squadrons as part of the 1st Aviation Regiment. Due to all kind of issues, the helicopters became fully operational only by 2016 and first sea-borne ops by April 2019

Let's hope they get something more reliable this time (that should be the easy part). Impressive also that the Tigers are to be phased out by earlier generation rotorcraft deemed more performant.

Source:
http://theaviationgeekclub.com/

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France eyes chinook helicopter acquisition

In press information relating to the event, France's special forces command says: "The air force is actively studying the acquisition of [CH-47s] for the French special forces. They would complete the current range of helicopters."

Parts of the French military have long been keen on acquiring a heavy-lift capability. During the late 2000s Paris was engaged in a joint effort with Germany under the Future Transport Helicopter programme.

Source:
FlightGlobal.com

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Chinook for Philipine

According to the country's top envoy to US, Washington is offering helicopters aside from the Black Hawk helicopters which the Philippines agreed to buy in December 2018.

"The US is offering the Philippines to buy heavy-lift Chinook helicopters," Romualdez said in a roundtable interview.

“We are buying more equipment but on the high-ticket items. I think you know about the 16 Blackhawk helicopters. And then there are the heavy-lift Chinook helicopters which are being offered to the Philippines,” he said.

Source:
https://news.abs-cbn.com/