Rotorcraft Report

11JUNE 2014 | ROTOR & WING MAGAZINEW W W. R O T O R A N D W I N G . C O M

MILITARY | AIRFRAMES

Sikorsky Reveals ‘King Stallion’ for CH-53K During Rollout

Stratford, Conn.-based Sikorsky Aircraft has taken the

wraps off its heavy lift helicopter that will serve the U.S.

Marine Corps for the next five decades – the CH-53K.

In front of a group that consisted of military leadership,

members of Congress, suppliers and company employees,

USMC Commandant Gen. James T. Amos revealed

that “King Stallion” had emerged as the chosen name for

the variant – a safe pick that taps into the legacy of the

CH-53 Sea Stallion and CH-53E Super Stallion. Also in

attendance were Sikorsky President Mick Maurer; United

Technologies (Sikorsky parent company) President and CEO

Louis Chenevert; Sikorsky’s international ambassador Sergei

Sikorsky (who is the son of company founder Igor Sikorsky);

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Cindy “CJ” Jaynes; and Col. Robert

Pridgen, NAVAIR program manager for aircraft and weapons.

The technological advancements of the K are many – fly by

wire controls, 7,500-shp GE T408 engines, composite airframe

and structures, updated avionics from Rockwell Collins, a new

transmission and fourth-generation rotor blades (including

seven on the main rotor). Also numerous are the suppliers for

the program, including Aurora Flight Sciences, BAE, Exelis,

Eaton, GE, GKN, Rockwell Collins, Spirit AeroSystems and

United Technologies Aerospace Systems.

“Heavy” is the operational word here – the CH-53K’s

gearbox assembly alone (around 12,500 to 13,000 lbs)

weighs more than an entire Black Hawk (at roughly

10,600 lbs empty weight). The maximum gross weight of

the CH-53K clocks in at 88,000 lbs (compared to 73,500

lbs for the CH-53E), offering more than triple the external

load capacity, with the ability to deliver up to 27,000 lbs on

a sling load to a distance of 110 nm from a host ship, hover

for 30 minutes and return to the ship. Everything about the

CH-53K screams big. In fact, the only other helicopter in

the world that is larger is the Russian Helicopters-built Mil

Mi-26.

The rollout marks the beginning of the ground test

phase, followed by first flight in late 2014. The maiden

flight will signal the start of three years of flight tests,

culminating with the beginning of USMC operational service sometime in

2019. The CH-53K is part of a System Development and Demonstration

(SDD) contract awarded in April 2006. The contract is currently worth

around $4 billion. —By Andrew Parker, Editor-in-Chief

Read the Full Story, view more photos and watch a video of the CH-53K

rollout atwww.rotorandwing.com

(Top) Sikorsky test pilot John Rucci with the CH-53K ground test vehicle, or GTV. (Bottom

three) Various angles of the CH-53K following the rollout ceremony with officials from the U.S.

Marine Corps, Sikorsky and program suppliers. Photos by Andrew Parker