Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe - Helicopter

avia.wikisort.org - Helicopter

The Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter designed by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Army. It is named after Tarhe, an 18th-century chief of the Wyandot Indian tribe whose nickname was "The Crane".[1] The civil version is the S-64 Skycrane.

CH-54 Tarhe

A CH-54A carrying a "Daisy Cutter" parachute bomb
Role	Heavy-lift cargo helicopter Type of aircraft
Manufacturer	Sikorsky Aircraft
First flight	9 May 1962
Retired	US Army 1970s, National Guard 1980s
Status	Retired
Primary user	United States Army
Number built	105
Variants	S-64 Skycrane

Development

Initial work on the Sikorsky "sky-crane" helicopters began in 1958 with the piston-engined Sikorsky S-60. The first flight of the turboshaft-powered S-64 Skycrane was on 9 May 1962.[2]

The United States Army eventually purchased 105, designating them CH-54. Used in Vietnam for transport and downed-aircraft retrieval, it was highly successful. As of 2014^[update], it holds the helicopter record for highest altitude in level flight at 11,000 m (36,000 ft), set in 1971,[3] and fastest climb to 3,000,[4] 6,000,[5] and 9,000[6] m (10,000, 20,000, and 30,000 ft).

The Skycrane can hold its cargo up and tight against its center spine to lessen drag and eliminate the pendulum effect when flying forward, as well as winch vehicles up and down from a hovering position, so the helicopter can deploy loads while hovering. Due to budget cuts, the Heavy Lift Helicopter (HLH) program was canceled and the CH-54 was not upgraded with larger engines. The Boeing CH-47 Chinook gradually supplemented it in combat and eventually replaced it in Regular Army aviation units, although CH-54 Skycranes remained in Army National Guard service until 1991.

Today, Erickson Air-Crane of Central Point, Oregon, operates the largest fleet of S-64 helicopters in the world under the name Erickson S-64 Aircrane. These can be equipped with water-dropping equipment (some also have foam/gel capability) for firefighting duties worldwide. After obtaining the type certificate and manufacturing rights in 1992, Erickson remains the manufacturer.

Variants

YCH-54A: Preproduction aircraft, six built.[7]
CH-54A: Production model powered by two 4,500 shp (3,400 kW) Pratt & Whitney T73-P-1 turboshafts, 54 built.[7]
CH-54B: Heavier version of the CH-54A with two 4,800 shp (3,600 kW) T-73-P-700 turboshafts and twin-wheeled main undercarriage, 37 ordered, 29 built.[8]
S-64B: In 1968 Sikorsky proposed a three-engined growth version with upgraded rotor and gearbox. This was not proceeded with but did form the basis for the CH-53E Super Stallion.[9]

Operators

United States

NASA[10][11]
United States Army[12]
- 478th Aviation Company
- 2nd Battalion, 291st Aviation Company
United States Army Reserve[13]
Army National Guard
- Company D, 113th Aviation, 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada ARNG 1986–1993 (received CH-54A[13])[14]
- 1160 Aviation Company, Georgia ARNG (received CH-54A[13])
- 137th Transportation Company (Heavy Helicopter), Kansas ARNG (received CH-54A[13])
- Company E, 185th Aviation Brigade, Mississippi ARNG (received CH-54A[13])
- Pennsylvania (received CH-54A[13])
- Alaska (received CH-54B[13])
- Alabama (received CH-54B[13])
- Connecticut (received CH-54B[13])

Surviving aircraft

A large number of surviving airframes exist in flyable condition as well as in museum collections worldwide.

Specifications (CH-54B)

General characteristics

Crew: 3
Capacity: 20,000 lb (9,072 kg) payload
Length: 88 ft 6 in (26.97 m)
Height: 25 ft 5 in (7.75 m)
Empty weight: 19,800 lb (8,981 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 47,000 lb (21,319 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney T73-P-700 turboshaft engines, 4,800 shp (3,600 kW) each
Main rotor diameter: 72 ft 0 in (21.95 m)
Main rotor area: 4,071.5 sq ft (378.25 m²) * Blade section: – NACA 0011 mod[15]

Performance

Maximum speed: 130 kn (150 mph, 240 km/h)
Cruise speed: 100 kn (120 mph, 190 km/h)
Range: 200 nmi (230 mi, 370 km)
Rate of climb: 1,330 ft/min (6.8 m/s)

References

Notes

"Tarhe". Ohio History Central.
Taylor 1976, p. 386.
"FAI Record ID #9918 – Altitude in horizontal flight. Class E-1 (Helicopters), turbine Archived 5 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine" Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) Retrieved: 21 September 2014.
"FAI Record ID #9942 – Time to climb to a height of 3 000 m. Class E-1 (Helicopters), turbine Archived 23 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine" Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Retrieved: 21 September 2014.
"FAI Record ID #9957 – Time to climb to a height of 6 000 m. Class E-1 (Helicopters), turbine Archived 23 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Retrieved: 21 September 2014.
"FAI Record ID #9960 – Time to climb to a height of 9 000 m. Class E-1 (Helicopters), turbine Archived 24 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Retrieved: 21 September 2014.
Harding 1990, p.243.
"CH-54B Tarhe". Helis.com. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
"S-64 Skycrane (CH-54 Tarhe)". Sikorsky Product History. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
"What Is a Helicopter?". nasa.gov. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
"Sikorsky CH – 54B Skycrane Helicopter". nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
"Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe Flying crane". www.Military-Today.com. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
"Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane / Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe". www.all-aero.com.
"Aviation Photo Search".
Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

Bibliography

Francillon, René J. (Spring 1991). "The Army Guard's Weightlifter". World Air Power Journal. 5: 36–41.
Harding, Stephen (1990). U.S. Army Aircraft since 1947. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-102-8.
Taylor, John W. R. (1976). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1976–77. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-354-00538-3.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to CH-54 Tarhe (Skycrane).

CH-54 U.S. Army Aviation history fact sheet
The short film STAFF FILM REPORT 66-2A (1966) is available for free download at the Internet Archive.
The short film STAFF FILM REPORT 66-21A (1966) is available for free download at the Internet Archive.
HELIS.com Sikorsky S-64/CH-54 Database

v t e Sikorsky aircraft
Fixed-wing aircraft (company designations)	S-1 S-2 S-3 S-4 S-5 S-6 S-7 S-8 S-9 S-10 S-11 S-12 S-13 S-14 S-15 S-16 S-17 S-18 S-19 S-20 S-21 S-22 S-23 S-24 S-25 S-26 S-27 S-28 S-29-A S-30 S-31 S-32 S-33 S-34 S-35 S-36 S-37 S-38 S-39 S-40 S-41 S-42 S-43 VS-44 S-45
Fixed-wing aircraft (military designations)	C-6 C-28 JRS JR2S PS P2S RS XBLR-3 XPBS XSS XV-2
Helicopters (company designations)	VS-300 (S-46) S-47 S-48 S-49 S-50 S-51 S-52 S-53 S-54 S-55 S-56 S-57 S-58 S-59 S-60 S-61 S-61L/N S-61R S-62 S-63 S-64 S-65 S-66 S-67 S-68 S-69 S-70 S-71 S-72 S-73 S-74 S-75 S-76 S-80 S-92 S-95 S-97 S-100 S-300 S-333 S-434
Helicopters (military designations)	SH-3 Sea King HH-3E/F R-4 H-5 H-6 H-18 H-19 Chickasaw H-34 Chocataw CH-37 Mojave XH-39 HH-52A Seaguard CH-53 Sea Stallion CH-53E Super Stallion CH-53K King Stallion MH-53 CH-54 Tarhe UH-60] Black Hawk HH-60G Pave Hawk HH-60J/MH-60T MH-60R/S Seahawk SH-60B/F Seahawk H-60J/K VH-60 RAH-66 Comanche VH-92 CH-124 Sea King CH-148 Cyclone HLH
Experimental aircraft	Cypher/Cypher II Firefly Raider Raider X SB-1 X2 XBLR-3 XV-2

United States helicopter designations, Army/Air Force and Tri-Service systems

Numerical sequence used by USAAC/USAAF/USAF 1941–present; U.S. Army 1948–1956 and 1962–present; U.S. Navy 1962–present

Army/Air Force sequence
(1941–1962)

Prefix R-, 1941–1948	R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 R-5 R-6 R-7 R-8 R-9 R-10 R-11 R-12 R-13 R-14 R-15 R-16
Prefix H-, 1948–1962	H-5 H-6 H-9 H-10 H-11 H-12 H-13 J H-15 H-16 H-17 H-18 H-19 H-20 H-21 H-22 H-23 H-24 H-25 H-26 H-27 H-28 H-29 H-30 H-31 H-32 H-33 H-34 H-35 H-36¹ H-37 H-38¹ H-39 H-40 H-41 H-42 H-43 H-44¹ H-45¹

Tri-service sequence
(1962–present)

1962 redesignations	H-13 F J H-19 H-21 H-23 H-25 H-34 H-37 H-43
New designations	H-46 H-47 H-48 H-49 H-50 H-51 H-52 H-53 CH-53/E/K HH-53/MH-53 H-54 H-55 H-56 H-57 H-58 H-59 H-60 UH-60 SH-60 HH-60 MH-60 H-61 H-62 H-63 H-64 H-65 H-66 H-67 H-68 H-69¹ H-70 H-71 H-72 H-73
Alternate sequence	H-1 AH-1/J/T/W/Z UH-1/N/Y H-2 G H-3 CH-3/HH-3 SH-3 H-4 H-5 H-6 AH-6 MH-6 OH-6
Non-sequential	H-90 H-92 CH-92/VH-92 H-139

¹ Not assigned

На других языках

[de] Sikorsky CH-54

Der Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe (Tarhe: Kranich im indianischen Dialekt der Wyandot-Indianer, engl. cargo helicopter) ist ein turbinengetriebener Transporthubschrauber aus US-amerikanischer Produktion. Hergestellt von der Firma Sikorsky, hatte er am 9. Mai 1962 seinen Erstflug. Das Modell hat seinen Ursprung im zivilen Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane.

- [en] Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe

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Development

Variants

Operators

Surviving aircraft

Specifications (CH-54B)

See also

References

External links

На других языках

[de] Sikorsky CH-54

[fr] Sikorsky CH-54

[it] Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe

[ru] Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe