Aircraft Profile: Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
Sikorsky’s UH-60 Black Hawk is a medium-lift utility or assault helicopter derived from the company’s twin-turboshaft S-70.
Designed to meet the requirements of the US Army’s utility tactical transport aircraft system contest to replace the Bell UH-1, the YUH-60A went up against Boeing-Vertol's rival YUH-61A and was selected the winner. It entered full-rate production in late 1976.
Powered by two General Electric T700/CT7 turboshaft engines, the UH-60 can carry 14 troops or 2,640lb (1,200kg) of cargo 508km (275nm) with no reserve at a cruise speed of 150kt (280km/h). The helicopter is typically armed with either two 7.62mm M60 machine guns or M134 miniguns.
Deliveries of the UH-60A to the US Army began in 1978. The type entered service in 1979, and first saw first combat use during the US invasion of Grenada in 1983.
In the late 1980s, the Black Hawk was upgraded to the UH-60L model, with this featuring more power and greater lift capacity thanks to an upgrade to the -701C-standard GE engine. The current UH-60M production model will extend the type’s service life into the 2020s, featuring yet more power and lift, as well as improved electronic instrumentation, flight controls and aircraft navigation control.
To date, over 20 nations have used one of the numerous UH-60 variants.
|
Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk |
| Rotor Diameter |
53.8 ft |
16.4 m |
| Length |
64.9 ft |
19.75 m |
| MTOW |
24,500 lb |
11,110 kg |
| Cruise Speed |
150 kts |
278 kmh |
| Combat Range |
320 nm |
592 km |