jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) (11/05/90)
From: jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher)
Number 28 in the series--the UH-60 Blackhawk:
Sikorsky UH-60A Blackhawk
Engines:
Two 1560 hp General Electric T700-GE-700 turboshafts
Performance:
Maximum speed: 184 mph at sea level
Maximum cruise: 167 mph at 4000 feet
Maximum inclined climb rate: 1620 ft/min.
Initial vertical climb rate: greater than 450 ft/min.
Hovering ceiling in ground effect: 9500 feet
Hovering ceiling out of ground effect: 5600 feet
Maximum range: 373 miles (maximum internal fuel).
Maximum range: 1000 miles (with 2 pylon tanks).
Weights:
Empty weight: 11,300 pounds
Maximum takeoff weight: 22,000 pounds
Accommodation:
Two pilots and crew chief/gunner plus 11 fully-equipped troops
or 14 troops in high density configuration.
Armament:
Provision for one or two side-firing M-23D 0.30 cal machine
guns in side doors.
Equipped with removable pylons at shoulder height on fuselage
sides from which up to 10,000 lbs of weapons loads or external
fuel tanks can be carried.
Weapons loads can include 16 AGM-114 Hellfire antiarmor
missiles (with 16 more carried in the cabin for reloading)
gun pods, unguided rocket pods, mine dispensers, and ECM pods.
Remarks:
Tactical transport helicopter intended to replace UH-1 (the
famous "Huey") in the combat support role in US Army.
Single four-bladed main rotor with swept-back tips.
Variable-incidence horizontal stabilizer mounted on tail boom.
The stabilizer is oriented vertically for takeoff, then is
turned to horizontal orientation for conventional forward
flight.
First UH-60A delivered to US Army in 1978.
1184 contracted for through FY91. Total requirement by US Army
for 2253 Blackhawks.
Participated in Panama invasion of 1989. Is there anyone who
has any details about its effectiveness?
UH-60A is produced under license by Westland in UK, which is
under contract to supply 80-90 examples to Saudi Arabia.
The license-built version is designated WS-70.
UH-60L is under development, with two 1857 hp T700-GE-701C
turboshafts.
UH-60M is also under development, with same engines as UH-60L
but with a one-foot longer fuselage, increased fuel capacity,
and a new all-composite rotor system.
EH-60A is electronics countermeasures version of UH-60A.
Carries the "Quick Fix IIB" electronics countermeasures
kit to jam enemy battlefield communications. Later redesignated
EH-60C.
MH-60K is special version operated by US Army Special Forces
and is intended for clandestine, deep penetration missions and
battlefield rescue. It has maximum external fuel tankage on
the external pylons, has uprated engines, is equipped with
folding rotor blades and tail unit for air and ship transport,
additional armament, air-to-air refuelling capability, a rescue
hoist, and advanced avionics including night vision imaging,
moving map displays, heads-up displays and multifunction CRT
displays.
HH-60D Nighthawk was a USAF version intended to serve as a
combat rescue helicopter. Crew of 4, comprehensive avionics
suite including terrain-following/terrain-avoidance radar and a
helmet-mounted display system. One prototype flown. Army
plans to purchase 243 Nighthawks proved too expensive.
HH-60E was a proposal for a less-comprehensively equipped
version of the HH-60D. Army plans to purchase 89 HH-60Ds and
66 HH-60Es also deemed too expensive.
HH-60A uses the uprated engines and transmissions of the SH-60B
Seahawk and avionics approximately the same sophistication as
had been proposed for the HH-60E.
USAF was expected to procure 90 HH-60s and 77 EH-60s, but
I don't know if any of these have actually delivered. I think
that operation by the USAF is limited to UH-60A. The 10 UH-60A
Blackhawks initially acquired by USAF were later upgraded to
"Credible Hawk" standards, with a refuelling probe, an extra
internal fuel tank, and a fuel management system.
Nine more UH-60As were procured to the same standard.
Further modification brought a change in designation to
MH-60G Pave Hawk (here's that "Pave" name again) with forward
looking infrared equipment, additional navigational aids and
communications equipment and 0.50 cal guns.
SH-60B Seahawk is a Navy version for use in antisubmarine
warfare and antiship survillance and targeting helicopter.
Two 1900 hp General Electric T700-GE-401C turboshafts. Total
Navy requirement for 204 helicopters. Intended to serve aboard
DD 963 destroyers, DDG-47 Aegis cruisers, and FFG-7 guided-
missile frigates.
SH-60F Ocean Hawk is a simplified version of SH-60B without MAD
gear. Designed to protect the inner zone of a carrier battle
group.
HH-60H is a combat search and rescue version of SH-60B for the
US Navy.
HH-60J is a medium range recovery helicopter for US Coast Guard.
References:
United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and
Peter Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989
Observer's Book of Aircraft, William Green, 1990.
Joe Baugher ************************************
AT&T Bell Laboratories * "If she can stand it, I can. *
200 Park Plaza * Play it!" *
Naperville, Illinois 60566-7050 ************************************
(708) 713 4548
ihlpm!jfb
jfb200@cbnewsd.att.com
Who, me? Speak for AT&T? Surely you jest! sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney) (11/06/90)
From: sysmgr@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU (Doug Mohney) In article <1990Nov4.205241.2388@cbnews.att.com>, jfb@ihlpm.att.com (Joseph F Baugher) writes: > Participated in Panama invasion of 1989. Is there anyone who > has any details about its effectiveness? It first got shot at in Grenada. Apparently the design survivability features worked pretty well (ie: it gets shot full of holes and keeps on flying).