CH-53K makes first flight

Completely overlooked today in the hype about the bomber, the Sikorsky CH-53K quietly made its first flight. The flight lasted 50 minutes, which included 20 minutes of taxi tests, and 30 minutes of actual air time. Pilots said the aircraft responded exactly as they expected based on simulator testing.

The flight tests have been delayed approximately seven months, but even though they couldn't fly, the software development team continued to develop the software, using ground testing articles, and lab work. The software on the flight test aircraft is fully developed and ready for use. The second flight test aircraft is completing instrumentation tests, and will fly early next year. By the middle of the year they will have four aircraft flying.

WASHINGTON — The CH-53K King Stallion, the Marine Corps' next-generation heavy-lift helicopter, took its first flight Tuesday at Sikorsky's test facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The entire flight test lasted about 55 minutes including taxiing on the runway, but the helicopter was in the air for about 30 minutes, Stephen McCulley, Sikorsky's chief test pilot for the CH-53K, told reporters in a teleconference.

"This aircraft flew just like we expected it to fly from the simulation, there were no surprises," McCulley said, adding he was "extremely happy with the aircraft response."

The first flight marks a significant and long-awaited milestone for the approximately $25.5 billion CH-53K program. The aircraft will replace the CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters and provide 50 percent more power that will allow it to transport more Marines and gear and at higher altitudes. The plan is to eventually buy 200 aircraft and the program is still on track to reach initial operational capability in 2019.

Linkage

Link is a bad gate Zaph. Also don't change your avitar in the middle of me reading your post. Thank goodness we all know you by name. I really want see this project. I'll find it
.

foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

Nice to see they got over the gear box issues and are pressing ahead.

a reply to: Bigburgh

www.upi.com...

Link HERE to the Defense news site.

a reply to: Bigburgh

Link is fixed.

originally posted by: Sammamishman
a reply to: Bigburgh

www.defensenews.com... 691932/

I gave a link.... Both of the defense links you and Zaph's are coming up 502 bad gateway

Both are fixed. Thanks you 2.


Note: sorry I'm doing this on a tiny iPod. Very annoying.

a reply to: Bigburgh

Yeah, I had to link mine after I noticed it did the same thing....weird.

a reply to: Bigburgh

The link is too long. When it's long like that it frequently cuts off the end as a link, which sends it to a different page that doesn't exist.

That is one impressive helicopter to see in person, it almost makes a Chinook look small.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Lol... I gotta read the rest offline. All is fixed. But this device is not ats friendly. To much memory. I keep getting booted.

Thanks to you both!

Awesome Helicopter! Thanks for the Video Link.

a reply to: staywellinformed

Your very welcome.

That is the most massive thing i have seen! Look at the pilots compared to it!!

Awesome thanks!

From wiki:

Capacity: 37 troops (55 with centerline seats installed)

far out.

originally posted by: Forensick
Capacity: 37 troops (55 with centerline seats installed)

i was just looking at those specs. its crazy huge! 24m rotor diamater! is there anything bigger?

a reply to: orgncpndmc

The Russian Mi-26 is bigger. It has a 32 meter diameter rotor and a 90 troop capacity.

Yep, pretty big, can't post video but watching it pick up a chinook...

a reply to: Forensick

A Ch-53 tried that once.....didn't go so well.

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: Sammamishman

Whoops!