Sikorsky Aircraft is negotiating the sale of two S-70A-37 Firehawk firefighter helicopters to an unnamed Asian customer as a prelude to what it hopes will be a substantial market demand from the region in the wake of devastating forest fires in 1997.
The customer, believed to be the Sultan of Brunei, will be the first for the modified UH-60L Black Hawk equipped with a removable 3,785 litre (1,000 US gal) water tank and extended landing gear. Powered by twin General Electric T700-701Cs, the helicopter has a gross weight of 10,700kg (23,500lb) and can carry up to 15 firefighters as well as the watertank, which is made by California-based Aero Union.
The multirole capability of the Firehawk has also sparked interest from the US Army National Guard, says Sikorsky director of international programmes, Lindell Weeks. The US Congress has earmarked $3 million for testing, qualification, certification and building of additional kits, as well as the delivery of the demonstrator aircraft to the Army National Guard after the trial period.
"The National Guard has indicated an interest for up to 40 systems," says Weeks, commenting during a demonstration of the Firehawk given by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in California. The demonstrator Firehawk, a new production UH-60L on loan from the Oregon Army National Guard, is being used for a trial period by the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The trial has revealed "-room for minor improvements such as tweaking the location of switches in the cockpit and so on", says Weeks, who adds that LA County is "-considering the Firehawk as a potential replacement" for several older types currently in use.
Sikorsky says the advantages of the Firehawk include the ability to drop fire suppressant precisely over the target area, its rapid transit to and from the water source and its flexible options for refilling the tank. The tank can be filled in 70s using a snorkel hose, or - in about the same time - by pumping water into its two main sections through connectors built into the sides.
Source: Flight International
