Sikorsky Launches S-76 Improvements

Sikorsky's bellweather S-76 civil helicopter will soon benefit from new technologies developed for the company's S-92 and RAH-66 Comanche programs.

The aircraft is to receive an uprated engine, a new digital cockpit, a quieter tail rotor, and a more comfortable interior featuring active noise and vibration control. U.S. FAA certification of this latest round of S-76 improvements is slated for 2004.

"Our plan is to insert the latest technology available from our other product lines, in a way that maintains the S-76 as the customers' clear choice for its size class," says Tommy Thomason, Sikorsky's civil programs VP.

The new S-76 powerplant will be Turbomeca's Arriel S22, which offers 6% more power and greater durability than the Arriel 2S1 on current-production S-76s. The new cockpit will have flat panel liquid crystal displays, digital data bus architecture, and room for optional equipment.

The Goodrich HUMS maintenance tracking system will also be part of the design. Differential GPS navigation with automatic approach to hover will be offered as an option.

Improved cabin comfort will be achieved through a combination of passive noise suppression, active vibration control (AVC), active noise control (ANC), and a low-noise main transmission. AVC has been successfully tested on the S-92, Sikorsky said, and a production-compatible ANC system will be tested in flight this year. The S-76's new, low-noise transmission is based on the unit designed for the Comanche.