Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. [UTX] recently said it has chosen 35 companies to fill its team assembling two prototype S-97 Raider ™ helicopters for Army evaluation.
Sikorsky and teammates are funding the program, which is to demonstrate the military applications of Sikorsky’s break-through X-2 ™ rotorcraft design which in 2010 proved its capability to double the cruise speed of conventional helicopters.
The company, as are others, is awaiting a request for information and details of specifications and technology demonstration for the Army’s armed aerial scout helicopter, aimed at replacing Bell Helicopters’ [TXT] OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter. The program is the next iteration of the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) a program terminated in 2008.
Sikorsky will invest about 75 percent of the Raider program’s expected cost, with suppliers investing about 25 percent, officials said in announcing the team at the Association of the United States Army’s ILW Aviation Symposium and Exposition, in National Harbor, Md.
“As designer and integrator of a next-generation light tactical helicopter capable of outperforming conventional helicopters in almost every performance parameter, it was imperative we chose our suppliers for the maturity of their advanced aerospace products and technologies,” said Doug Shidler, Sikorsky’s Raider program manager. “Product maturity will enable Sikorsky to demonstrate the Raider helicopter’s flight and aerodynamic performance in a simulated military environment starting in 2014, and ultimately bring X2-designed helicopters to future customers quickly and at a very affordable price.”
The Raider cockpit will feature side-by-side seating for two pilots. For armed reconnaissance and light attack missions, the aircraft can host a variety of sensors and externally-mounted weapons, with the flexibility to carry additional fuel and ammunition for extended missions. In a light utility.
The majority of the Raider team members are U.S.-based companies from 20 states. The team is broken up into various areas.
Structures: Aurora; Cytec; East/West Industries; Fischer (Germany); Hexcel; PPG; Triumph Group.
Avionics: Avionics Instruments; BAE Systems; Eaton; Esterline Control Systems; Garmin; Goodrich [GR]; Hamilton Sundstrand [UTX]; Honeywell [HON]; Lockheed Martin [LMT]; Northrop Grumman [NOC].
Propulsion: Ametek; Ducommun; Eaton; General Electric [GE]; Honeywell; Liquid Measurement Systems; Meggitt-USA; Spectrum; TIGHITCO.
Rotors and transmission: Emerson-McGill; Fatigue Technology; FAG Canada; Goodrich; Hamilton Sundstrand; Kamatics; LORD Corp.; Pankl Aerospace; Parker Aerospace; Schultz; SIFCO; Triumph Group.
Rotor blades: Cytec; Eagle Aviation Technologies; Hexcel; Rotating Composites.
Like the X2 demonstrator aircraft, the single engine S-97 RAIDER helicopter will feature coaxial counter-rotating main rotors and a pusher propeller to provide cruise speeds up to 220 knots (253 mph) with dash speeds up to 240 knots (276 mph) or higher.
“We anticipate these S-97 RAIDER prototypes will provide dramatic improvements over conventional helicopters in maneuverability, range, endurance, altitude and hover efficiency–in addition to speed,” said Chris Van Buiten, vice president of Sikorsky Innovations, the advanced engineering and development division of Sikorsky Aircraft that has pioneered the X2 design. “These attributes of the Raider aircraft could very well change the way the U.S. military fights with helicopters.”
With a maximum gross weight of approximately 11,000 pounds, the Raider helicopter will offer full operational performance at speeds and altitudes more than twice the capability of today’s light tactical helicopters.