Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane Explained

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^[1] 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.^[2] 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 2650abbr=onNaNabbr=on fixed retardant tank to assist in the control of bush fires.^[3] The helicopter is capable of refilling its entire tank of water in 45 seconds from a water slide 18inches thick.^[4]

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.^[5]

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.^[6]

Operators

• Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco

• Korea Forest Service (6 in service)^[7]

• Columbia Helicopters (no longer in use)^[8]
• Erickson Air-Crane^[9]
• Evergreen Helicopters, Inc. (bought by Erickson Air-Crane)^[10]
• Helicopter Express^[11]
• Helicopter Transport Services^[12]
• Los Angeles City Fire Department (contracted by Erickson Air-Crane)^[13]
• Los Angeles County Fire Department (contracted by Erickson Air-Crane)^[14]
• San Diego Gas and Electric (contracted by Erickson Air-Crane)^[15]
• Siller Helicopters^[16]

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.^[17]
• N198AC "Shirley Jean" – S-64F; sold to European Air-Crane c.2006 as I-SEAD; crashed in Italy on 2007-04-26.^[18] Aircraft was destroyed in a post-crash fire.^[19]
• 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.^{[20] [21]}
• 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 2 pilots and the flight engineer, were able to bail from the aircraft in 2-3m of water and swim to safety with no life-threatening injuries.^[22] 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 1000 feet 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. ^[23]

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Martinich . Jesse . 2021-12-10 . The Fascinating Story of the S-64 Air Crane® Helicopter Erickson Inc. . 2024-05-30 . Erickson Inc. OEM and MRO Services . en-US.
2. Book: Jackson, Paul . German Military Aviation 1956–1976. 1976. Midland Counties Publications. 0-904597-03-2.
3. Web site: Mason . Ryan . Erickson S-64 Air Crane to Return to Australian Skies This Season . AerialFireMag.com . 20 October 2021 . 7 February 2022.
4. Web site: Firefighting Services . Erickson Incorporated . 27 April 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20171107021452/https://ericksoninc.com/services/commercial/fire-fighting/. 7 November 2017.
5. Web site: Topping of Tower . CNTower.ca . Topping of the Tower . 29 June 2020 . 30 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200630012643/https://www.cntower.ca/en-ca/about-us/history/topping-of-tower.html . dead .
6. Web site: Erickson to demo S-64 Air Crane flying autonomously using Sikorsky Matrix. Reim. Garrett. 29 January 2020. FlightGlobal.com. 31 January 2020.
7. Web site: Erickson delivers another Air Crane to Korea Forest Service . fireaviation.com. 2019 . 10 August 2021.
8. Web site: Helispot photo . Helispot . 2010-12-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110711161653/http://www.helispot.com/qqq/photo/02211 . 11 July 2011.
9. Web site: the origins of Erickson Air-Crane . Erickson Air-Crane, Inc. 2013 . 26 January 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130329133446/http://www.ericksonaircrane.com/history.php . 29 March 2013.
10. Web site: Evergreen S-64 spec. sheet . Evergreen aviation . 26 January 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120512045536/http://www.evergreenaviation.com/EHI/specsheets/Skycrane_spec.pdf . 12 May 2012.
11. Web site: Our Construction Helicopter Fleet Helicopter Express . 2024-05-09 . www.helicopterexpress.com . en.
12. Web site: HTS Fleet. htshelicopters.com. 26 January 2013. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107000516/http://www.htshelicopters.com/aircraft/. 7 November 2012.
13. Web site: LAFD S-64. emergencyrigs.net. 26 January 2013. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140521050150/http://www.emergencyrigs.net/viewphoto.asp?PhotoID=4546&Size=L. 21 May 2014.
14. Web site: L.A. County S-64 . https://archive.today/20140521015003/http://finance.yahoo.com/news/erickson-air-crane-announces-contract-123000553.html;_ylt=A0SO8zLM_XtTJXwA7OZXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzMjJzbnR2BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNwRjb2xvA2dxMQR2dGlkA1ZJUDM2MF8x . dead . 21 May 2014 . Yahoo . 17 March 2013 .
15. Web site: Erickson Air-Crane buys Sun Bird aircraft from San Diego Gas & Electric. 7 October 2012 . Helihub . 26 January 2013. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20121009021708/http://helihub.com/2012/10/07/erickson-air-crane-buys-sun-bird-aircraft-from-san-diego-gas-electric/. 9 October 2012.
16. Web site: Fleet . Siller helicopters . 20 September 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130928012632/http://sillerhelicopters.com/sikorski-aircraft.php . 28 September 2013.
17. Web site: NTSB report (LAX07TA001). Ntsb.gov. 2015-09-07. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160114121619/https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20061006X01477&ntsbno=LAX07TA001&akey=1. 14 January 2016.
18. Web site: Helicopters area of dgualdo.it (report excerpts in Italian). https://web.archive.org/web/20070928175146/http://www.dgualdo.it/isead-report.htm. dead. 28 September 2007.
19. Web site: NTSB report – NYC07WA152 . Ntsb.gov . 26 April 2007 . 2010-12-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090219084606/https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20070806X01110&key=1 . 19 February 2009 .
20. Web site: NTSB report – WAS04WA012 . Ntsb.gov . 26 August 2004 . 2010-12-20 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100731180024/https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20041028X01713&key=1 . 31 July 2010 .
21. Web site: NTSB probes Air-Crane crash – September 9, 2004 . https://archive.today/20120707111710/http://archive.mailtribune.com/archive/2004/0909/local/stories/09local.htm . dead . 7 July 2012 . Archive.mailtribune.com . 9 September 2004 . 2010-12-20.
22. Web site: Aircrane extracted after crashing into lake in Australia . fireaviation.com . 2021-04-18.
23. Web site: NTSB Report - WPR23FA302 . ntsb.gov . 2023-12-19.

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