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| CH-54 Tarhe | |
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| A CH-54A carrying a parachute bomb | |
| Role | Heavy-lift cargo helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Sikorsky Aircraft |
| First flight | 1962 |
| Primary user | United States Army |
| Number built | 105 |
| Developed from | CH-37 Mojave |
| Variants | S-64 Skycrane |
The CH-54 Tarhe is a twin-engine heavy-lift helicopter designed by Sikorsky Aircraft for the United States Army. It is named after Tarhe (whose nickname was "The Crane"), an eighteenth-century chief of the Wyandot Native American tribe.1 The civil version is the S-64 Skycrane.
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Development
Initial work on the Sikorsky "sky-crane" helicopters began in 1958 with the piston-engined S-60.
The first flight of the turboshaft-powered S-64 Skycrane was May 9, 1962, with the U.S. Army eventually purchasing 105, designating them CH-54. Used in Vietnam for transport and downed-aircraft retrieval, it was highly successful, thanks to the 'adaptable' nature of the module system first conceived by General James M. Gavin in his book Airborne Warfare in 1947. Early pods could not carry troops and external sling-loads at the same time. Advanced pods for the CH-54 could carry troops and cargo underslung at the same time but were not purchased. The Skycrane can not only hold its cargo up and tight against its center spine to lessen drag and eliminate the pendulum effect when flying forward, it can winch vehicles up and down from a hovering position, so the helicopter itself need not land. Due to budget cuts the Heavy Lift Helicopter (HLH) program was cancelled and the CH-54s not upgraded with larger engines. The Boeing CH-47 Chinook gradually supplemented it in combat, although Skycranes remained in U.S. National Guard service until the early 1990s. The Soviet Union also created much larger crane helicopters with a similar skeletal design.
Today, Erickson Air-Crane of Central Point, Oregon operates the largest fleet of S-64 helicopters in the world under the name Erickson S-64 Aircrane, which can be equipped with water-dropping equipment (some also have foam/gel capability) for firefighting duties worldwide. After obtaining the type certificate and manufacturing rights in 1992, Erickson remains the manufacturer and world’s largest operator of S-64s.
Variants
- YCH-54A: Pre-production aircraft, six built.
- CH-54A: Production model powered by two 4500shp T-73-P1 turboshafts, 54 built.
- CH-54B: Heavier version of the CH-54A with two 4800 shp T-73-P700 turboshafts and twin-wheeled main undercarriage, 29 built.
Operators
Survivors
A large number of surviving airframes exist in flyable condition as well as in museum collections worldwide.
Specifications (CH-54B Tarhe)
Data from The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft2
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Payload: 20,000 lb (9,000 kg)
- Length: 88 ft 6 in (26.97 m)
- Rotor diameter: 72 ft 0 in (21.95 m)
- Height: 25 ft 5 in (7.75 m)
- Disc area: 4071.5 ft² (378.24 m²)
- Empty weight: 19,800 lb (8,980 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 47,000 lb (21,000 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney T73-P-700 turboshaft engines, 4,800 shp (3,580 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 130 kn (150 mph, 240 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 100 kn (115 mph, 185 km/h)
- Range: 200 NM (230 mi, 370 km)
- Service ceiling 18,330 ft (5,600 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,330 ft/min (6.75 m/s)
See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
- List of active military aircraft of the United States
- List of helicopters
- List of military aircraft of the United States
References
- ^ Ohio History Central page on Tarhe
- ^ Donald, D. (1997). "Sikorsky S-64 / CH-54 “Tarhe” helicopter". The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: CH-54 Tarhe (Skycrane) |
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 6 January 2009, at 16:18.
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