S-64 Aircrane

The Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane is an American twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter. It is the civilian version of the United States Army's CH-54 Tarhe. It is currently produced as the S-64 Aircrane by Erickson Inc.

Development

Under Sikorsky

The Sikorsky S-64 was designed as an enlarged version of the prototype ''flying crane'' helicopter, the Sikorsky S-60. The S-64 had a six-blade main rotor and was powered by two Pratt & Whitney JFTD12A turboshaft engines. The prototype S-64 first flew on 9 May 1962 and was followed by two further examples for evaluation by the German armed forces. The Germans did not place an order, but the United States Army placed an initial order for six S-64A helicopters (with the designation YCH-54A Tarhe). Seven S-64E variants were built by Sikorsky for the civil market.

Under Erickson

Originally a Sikorsky Aircraft product, the type certificate and manufacturing rights were purchased from them by Erickson Air-Crane in 1992. Since that time, Erickson Air-Crane has become the manufacturer and world's largest operator of S-64 Aircranes and has made over 1,350 changes to the airframe, instrumentation, and payload capabilities of the helicopter. The Aircrane can be fitted with a fixed retardant tank to assist in the control of bush fires. The helicopter is capable of refilling its entire tank of water in 45 seconds from a tube (which they call a snorkel) thick.

S-64 Aircranes have been sold to the Italian and Korean Forest Services for fire suppression and emergency response duties. Those in the Erickson Air-Crane fleet are leased worldwide to organizations, companies, and federal government agencies for either short-term or longer term use in fire suppression, civil protection, heavy lift construction, and timber harvesting. Erickson is manufacturing new S-64s, as well as remanufacturing existing CH-54s.

Erickson gives each of its S-64s an individual name, the best-known being "Elvis", used in fighting fires in Australia alongside "The Incredible Hulk" and "Isabelle". Other operators, such as Siller Brothers, have followed with their Sikorsky S-64E, ''Andy's Pride''. The Erickson S-64E nicknamed "Olga" was used to lift the top section of the CN Tower into place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Variants

Sikorsky Skycrane

;S-64
:Twin-engined heavy-lift helicopter, 3 built. 1 rebuilt as S-64E.
;S-64A
:Six test and evaluation helicopters for the US Army.

;S-64B :
:Civil version of CH-54A, 7 built.

Erickson

;S-64E
:Upgraded CH-54A helicopters, plus one new build aircraft; 17 aircraft in total.
;S-64F
:Upgraded CH-54B helicopters; powered by two Pratt & Whitney JFTD12-5A engines; 13 aircraft in total.
;S-64F+
:Proposed upgraded version with new engines, avionics, and optional piloting.

Operators

;
* Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco
;
* Korea Forest Service (6 in service)
;
* Columbia Helicopters (no longer in use)
* Erickson Air-Crane
* Evergreen Helicopters, Inc. (bought by Erickson Air-Crane)
* Helicopter Express
* Helicopter Transport Services
*Los Angeles City Fire Department (contracted by Erickson Air-Crane)
* Los Angeles County Fire Department (contracted by Erickson Air-Crane)
* San Diego Gas and Electric (contracted by Erickson Air-Crane)
* Siller Helicopters

Incidents

* N189AC "Gypsy Lady" – crashed in Ojai, California on 1 October 2006. While operating for the USFS, the Erickson S-64 snagged a dip tank and the helicopter rolled over and crashed.
* N198AC "Shirley Jean" – S-64F; sold to European Air-Crane c.2006 as I-SEAD; crashed in Italy on 2007-04-26. Aircraft was destroyed in a post-crash fire.
* N248AC "Aurora" – S-64E; named after Aurora State Airport, home to Columbia Helicopters, former owner of aircraft. Crashed on 26 August 2004 in Corsica, killing its Canadian pilot and French co-pilot. The aircrane was chartered by the interior ministry to fight fires on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica. It had been fighting a wildfire as it went down near the village of Ventiseri, trying to return to a nearby military base, due to technical problems associated with inflight breakup.
* N173AC "Christine" – S-64E; ditched into a small dam within Melbourne's water catchment with no casualties during a firefighting operation in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia on 28 January 2019. The crew, consisting of two pilots and the flight engineer, were able to bail from the aircraft in of water and swim to safety with no life-threatening injuries. The aircraft was rebuilt at Erickson's Central Point, Oregon facility and flew again in early 2021.
* N4037S - An S-64E operated by Siller Helicopters sustained damage to the right main landing gear wheel and tire assembly after a midair collision with a Bell 407 near Cabazon, California while both aircraft were responding to a reported fire on 6 August 2023. The S-64 landed near the collision site with no injuries to the two pilots on board. The Bell 407 sustained substantial damage in the collision, leaving a debris field approximately in length before coming to rest on a rocky hillside where it was consumed by a post-crash fire. The contract pilot along with a Cal Fire Assistant Chief and Cal Fire Captain on board the Bell 407 were killed.

Specifications (S-64E)

See also

Notes

References

External links

Erickson Air-Crane website

Canadian Air-Crane website

Air Tanker Listing

FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet


CN Tower antenna being lifted into place – footage
1975

{{Sikorsky Aircraft

1960s United States helicopters
S-064 Skycrane
Twin-turbine helicopters
Aircraft first flown in 1962
Modular aircraft