STRATFORD, Conn., May 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sikorsky
Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:
UTX), has begun full system testing of the U.S. Marine Corps'
CH-53K heavy lift helicopter with all seven main rotor blades and
four tail rotor blades attached for the first time to a non-flying
prototype called the Ground Test Vehicle (GTV). Powered "Light-Off"
with rotor blades spinning follows a "Bare Head" (without blades)
test phase of the GTV aircraft's systems powered by its three GE
7,500 horsepower class engines, and begins a rigorous two-year test
program of the rotor blades, transmission, engines, and all
subsystems while the GTV is anchored to the ground.
"This is another key milestone in our building block approach to
maturing the aircraft system," said Mike
Torok, Sikorsky's CH-53K Program vice president, of the
April 17 event. "The aircraft is now
fully configured to proceed to the next series of system
integration tests that will further validate the aircraft systems,
such as rotors, drive, electrical, hydraulic, avionics and flight
controls – all leading to operational acceptance testing that will
clear the flight aircraft for flight operations. The preliminary
results maintain our confidence in meeting first flight of the
initial flight test helicopter in late 2014."
The GTV will play a key role for Sikorsky and the U.S. Marine
Corps during hundreds of hours of powered ground tests as the
CH-53K team prepares for first flight and the subsequent three-year
flight test program. By accumulating operational experience ahead
of the four flight test aircraft — currently in final assembly —
the GTV can measure and verify the ability of the drive system,
transmissions and engines to fly the CH-53K helicopter safely and
efficiently across multiple flight scenarios up to its 88,000-pound
(39,916 kg) maximum gross weight with an external load.
During the next 250 hours of operation, the GTV will continue to
assess the helicopter's subsystems and the structural integrity and
whirl characteristics of the rotors, blades and drive train.
The first of the four flight test helicopters — known as
Engineering Development Models — is scheduled to take to the skies
in late 2014. During the three-year flight test program, each
flight test aircraft is expected to accumulate approximately 500
flight test hours. To ensure safety of flight, the GTV will
continue to accumulate hundreds of operational endurance hours
ahead of the flight aircraft.
The Naval Air Systems Command gave the go-ahead for the powered
tests in December following closure of actions from an October Test
Readiness Review and the completion of sub-system qualification
testing.
"This joint CH-53K team has prepared well for this important
day," said Col. Robert Pridgen, U.S.
Marine Corps program manager for heavy lift helicopters.
"Discipline, hard work and some really smart folks have gotten us
to this point. Looking forward, it'll take more of the same as our
confidence grows with respect to dynamic and system level
performance of the Marine Corps' next heavy lift platform. This is
a great start leading us to first flight later this year."
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Conn., is a world leader in
helicopter design, manufacture, and service. Sikorsky is a
subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), which is based
in Hartford, Conn., and provides a
broad range of high technology products and support services to the
aerospace and building systems industries.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140501/83030
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060403/SIKORSKYLOGO
SOURCE Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation