Sikorsky S-70 (Firehawk)

Special-Mission Helicopter [ 2008 ]

The Sikorsky S-70 is a specialized version of the American military UH-60L Black Hawk transport helicopter - capable of undertaking varied roles.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 01/08/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from official Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin marketing materials.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Advertisements

The S-70 is a special-mission helicopter platform developed by Sikorsky and based on the company's S-70/UH-60 "Black Hawk" twin-engine transport airframe. The latest variant being offered is based in the S-70i manufactured under license by Sikorsky subsidiary PZL Mielec of Poland while earlier marks include the S-70A and S-70C Firehawks. The Firehawk is a specialized fire-fighting derivative while the S-70i has been outfitted to cover special operations support - showcasing the type's inherent versatility.

The fire-fighting Firehawk's design includes an external rescue hoist off the starboard side of the fuselage. Internally, it seats its two pilots side-by-side at the front and a complete fire crew of twelve in the passenger section. The hold can also carry up to two medical litters and limited staff for the MEDEVAC role. The Rockwell Collins-designed cockpit supports Night-Vision (NV) equipment, a digital automatic flight control system and is of an all-modern, all-glass design. A tactical communications system provides the operating crew with a link to ground units. A searchlight is available for low-light-level and nighttime operations. Under the fuselage is housed a 1,000 gallon water tank with a built-in retractable snirkel capable of filling said tank in under a minute. The tank a development of Aero Union of Chico, California.

Externally, the Firehawk series retains much of the form-and-function of the U.S. Army's Black Hawk transport series. It sports a twin engine side-by-side layout driving a four-bladed (wide-chord) main rotor assembly over the passenger section and a four-bladed anti-torque rotor unit at the tail (facing starboard). The undercarriage is wheeled, fixed in flight and of a tail-dragger arrangement (also designed to clear the under-belly water tank). The aircraft includes the usual window fittings to provide the best situational awareness possible for pilots and crew. The pilots enter-exit by way of hinged automobile-style doors while access to the passenger section is by way of the traditional sliding doors.

Power is from 2 x General Electric T700-701D series turboshaft engines developing 1,940 horsepower each.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department of a notable operator of the Firehawk, they relying on the earlier S-70A Firehawk variant.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

September 2018 - With ongoing fires in California, United Rotorcraft will be converting a pair of former United States Army HH-60L Black Hawk helicopters to the Firehawk role for the Ventura County Fire Department. These are set to be delivered sometime in 2019.

January 2020 - The nation of Poland has received four S-70i helicopters to cover a special forces requirement. These helicopters were ordered in 2019 and have been produced in Poland under license under the PZL brand label.

Specifications

Service Year

2008

Origin

United States

Status

ACTIVE
In Active Service.

Crew

2

Production

50
UNITS

Sikorsky / United Rotorcraft - USA

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Poland; United States

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Special-Mission: MEDical EVACuation (MEDEVAC)
Extraction of wounded combat or civilian elements by way of specialized onboard equipment and available internal volume or external carrying capability.

✓ Special-Mission: Search & Rescue (SAR)
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).

Length

64.8 ft
(19.75 m)

Width/Span

53.6 ft
(16.35 m)

Height

57.4 ft
(17.50 m)

Empty Wgt

11,795 lb
(5,350 kg)

MTOW

22,046 lb
(10,000 kg)

Wgt Diff

+10,251 lb
(+4,650 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Sikorsky S-70i production variant)

Installed: 2 x General Electric T700-701D turboshaft engines developing 1,940 horsepower and driving a four-bladed main rotor and four-bladed tail rotor.

Max Speed

224 mph
(360 kph | 194 kts)

Ceiling

20,013 ft
(6,100 m | 4 mi)

Range

289 mi
(465 km | 861 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

2,250 ft/min
(686 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Sikorsky S-70i production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

None. Firefighting equipment installed.

Supported Types

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

S-70 - Base Series Designation

S-70A "Firehawk" - Firefighting platform based on the UH-60L Black Hawk military transport model.

S-70C - Alternative commercial variant.

S-70i - Modernized variant with improvements throughout; based in the S-70i International Black Hawk variant produced by Sikorsky subsidiary PZL of Poland.

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery

1 / 1

Image from official Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin marketing materials.