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On the Record with
TOMMY THOMASON, VICE PRESIDENT CIVIL
PROGRAMS, SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORP.
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Key to Tommy Thomason's goal of making helicopters far more useful is implementation of a practical automatic instrument approach and landing system based on Differential GPS. This involves equipping the helicopter with the appropriate black boxes and autopilotand building and certifying a ground infrastructure. A team of FAA and industry partners (Sikorsky with an S-76, Honeywell with modified SPZ-760 and EDZ-705 flight instrument systems, and Universal Avionics with the GLS-1250 landing and UNS-1D flight management system) performed the first practical precision approach to a hover last July. The system relies on a Raytheon Special Category Differential Global Positioning System (SCAT1 DGPS) ground station to provide glideslope and local approach guidance to a heliport. Earlier tests used a Honeywell Peloris DGPS ground station. The team anticipates that certification will lead to approach minimums below 100 foot ceiling and 600 feet visibility with current technology, and potentially zero-zero minimums with the next generation. Pilots can perform the approach three ways: coupled autopilot, flight directed, or with a raw data presentation similar to an ILS. Approach angles of up to nine degrees have been demonstrated. Certification of the airborne systems in the S-76 is now achievable, Thomason says. "But someone has to set up the DGPS stations on the ground," he explains. "For that reason it will be another year or two before this can be implemented." |
"There seems to be a perception
that Sikorsky is not in the civil market, but nothing could be
further from the truth."
So says Tommy Thomason, new vice president in charge of civil programs at the helicopter manufacturer perhaps best known for its military BlackHawks and CH-53 Jolly Green Giants. "We've been building and selling commercially certified helicopters for more than 50 years," Thomason says. "We have a very long and proud history in the civil helicopter business."
Sikorsky is showing its latest S-76C+ executive helicopter here at NBAA. One could be forgiven for asking if Sikorsky is really in the commercial market when looking a production run of only 15 per year, and only 10 slated for next year due to a streamlining and relocation of the production line. The numbers are expected to top 15 again the year after.
"That has, however, been 15 a year for at least 15 yearsa
pretty respectable level," Thomason says. "And we're
about to be sold out for next year."
Some 500 S-76C+ helicopters have been delivered since 1980. About
a third have gone to corporate users, a third to offshore oil
support, and the remainder to special mission and medevac. The
latest pair, for Palm Beach County, FL, are known as "TraumaHawks."
Thomason believes the 20-year-old design has at least another
20 years left in it. Sikorsky is considering several update programs,
including a quieter tail rotor, and a Honeywell Primus Epic glass
cockpit. No decisions have yet been made on implementation, he
says.
"We're looking at a block upgrade to significantly improve the capability of the S-76," he told Show News. "This will significantly increase the overall market, not just the market share for this helicopter."
Key will be certification of Differential GPS in the S-76 to allow automatic instrument approachesas and when the infrastructure catches up with the capability of the aircraft. This also involves major upgrades to the autopilot. Cost will be about $20,000 for S-76s already equipped with GPS. The extra equipment will take up no more than a 20-pound black box.
"The S-76 is in a class by itself in terms of cabin size,
payload, range and direct operating costs," Thomason says.
"And it looks goodit's like a 1976 Corvette Sting Ray."
The aircraft historically hold their value well, he adds, citing
a 1980 "A" model that originally sold for $750,000it
came to market recently for $2.5 million. "I'm looking to
increase market share by adding enough improvements, such as DGPS,
to increase the value of the helicopter even more over its lifetime,"
Thomason says.
The oldest S-76 has now been in service for 20 years, and the high time aircraft has logged more than 24,000 hours, he notes.
By John Morris
NBAA 1999, Atlanta, Ga.
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