Rockwell Collins is proposing an upgraded glass cockpit to Turkey for a planned purchase of eight Sikorsky CH-53E Stallions, in a common configuration to that ordered for its S-70A Black Hawks.
Turkey is negotiating a contract with Sikorsky for an initial eight CH-53E helicopters for the army and has a total need for 20 machines. The deal, if concluded, will re-open the CH-53 line at Stratford which closed after the final US Marine Corps machine was delivered last October.
Rockwell Collins marketing manager James Perkins confirms that a Pro Line 21 based cockpit is being proposed to Turkey and has been presented to the USMC for its planned CH-53E upgrade (Flight International, 11-17 January). It includes four 150 x 254mm (6 x10in) liquid crystal displays (LCD), dual CDU-900 flight management systems, embedded global positioning system and data loader
Turkey has signed a $28 million contract to equip its 50 army-operated S-70A utility and search and rescue machines and eight navy S-70B Seahawks with a similar cockpit.
An initial two shipsets have been delivered and will be installed in the first platform for delivery by August. The 22 Black Hawks already in Turkish service will be retrofitted.
"There are still some round dials in the cockpit, but it takes the helicopter in the direction of an all-glass cockpit," says Perkins.
The follow-on Black Hawk 2000 cockpit will have fewer traditional instruments, which allows a 150mm reduction in the instrument panel width and a corresponding increase in the pilot's field of view.
Black Hawk 2000 is being marketed to S-70/UH-60 operators, including Australia, Saudi Arabia and South Korea and is being offered in sales campaigns to Austria, Egypt, Taiwan and Thailand.
Source: Flight International
