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Sikorsky S-76C+

Type (Muster)
Medium helicopter (Mittelschwerer Mehrzweckhubschrauber)

Country (Land)
USA

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
6900 Main Street
Stratford, Connecticut 06497-9129
USA

Phone: 001-203/386-3829
Fax: 001-203/386-7300

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 1 or 2 for IFR flight
Passengers (Passagiere): 6 in VIP configuration, 13 maximum, or two stretchers with four medical attendants

Power plant (Antrieb): 2 x Turboméca Arriel 2S1 turboshafts
Power (Leistung): 2 x 638 kW (856 shp) at take-off, 794 shp maximum continuous and 731 kW (980 shp) for 30 sec emergency or 889 shp for two minutes
Transmission rating (Getriebelimit): 1193 kW (1600 shp) for take-off and max. Continuous
Fuel consumption (Kraftstoffverbrauch): 272 kg/h at 140 kts cruise
TBO: 3000 hrs

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Fuselage length (Rumpflänge): 13,22 m
Length overall, rotor turning (Länge über drehende Rotoren): 16,00 m
Height (Höhe): 4,42 m to tip of tail rotor
Width (Breite): 3,05 m over horizontal stabilizer
Max. fuselage width (Rumpfbreite): 2,13 m
Main rotor diameter (Hauptrotordurchmesser): 13,41 m
Tail-rotor diameter (Heckrotordurchmesser): 2,44 m
Main rotor disk (Hauptrotorfläche): 141,26 sq m

Passenger cabin length (Länge der Passagierkabine): 2,46 m
Passenger cabin width (Breite der Passagierkabine): 1,93 m
Passenger cabin height (Höhe der Passagierkabine): 1,35 m
Passenger cabin are (Passagierkabinenfläche): 4,18 sq m
Passenger cabin volume (Volumen der Passagierkabine): 5,78 cu m
Baggage volume (Gepäckraum): 1,08 cu m

Weights (Massen)
Empty weight (Leermasse): 3691 kg in the Deluxe Executive version or 3235 kg in standard configuration
Operating weight empty (Betriebs-Leermasse): 3928 kg including two pilots in the VIP version, or 3429 kg in the utility version
Useful load (max. Zuladung): 2098 kg in utility configuration kg or 1575 kg in deluxe executive trim
Max. underslung load (max. Außenlast): 1497 kg
Usable fuel (Kraftstoff): 1064 litres (281 US gallons) plus optional tank of 405 litres
Max. take-off weight (Max. Startmasse): 5306 kg

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Max. speed (Höchstgeschwindigkeit): 287 km/h (155 kts) at sea level
Max. cruise speed (max. Reisegeschwindigkeit): 287 km/h at sea level
Long-range cruise (Langstrecken-Reisegeschw.): 257 km/h (139 kts) at 4000 ft
Best rate of climb (Steigrate): 8,26 m/s
Service ceiling (Dienstgipfelhöhe): 3841 m with two engines, 975 m with one engine (30-minute power)
Hover ceiling (Schwebeflughöhe)
- out of ground effect (ohne Bodeneffekt): 549 m
- in ground effect (im Bodeneffekt): 1722 m
Range (Reichweite): 680 km at long-range cruise speed, with 30 min reserve, or 813 km without reserves
Endurance (Einsatzdauer): 4 h

Costs (Kosten)
About 6 million US-Dollars in utility configuration and 7,7 million with VIP interior in 1998.
Sikorsky calculated total direct operating costs of 626,6 US-Dollars as of August 1996.

Customers (Kunden)
Customers for the S-76C+ include:

Aetna Inc. (USA)
Air Hanson (UK): provides helicopter transportation for the UK royal family
Arkansas Children´s Hospital: 2. Introduced in 2002 with intensive care equipment
China Ministry of Communications: 2. Will be operated by the Shanghai Salvage Air Fleet for SAR duties.
Copterline (Finland): 2. Inaugurated regular scheduled passenger service between Helsinki and Tallinn on 5 May 2000, after getting the helicopters in March
East Asia Airlines (Macau): 3.
Government of Turkmenistan
Helicopter Service AB (Sweden): 3. Scheduled passenger service between Copenhagen and Malmo and Helsingborg with 83 flights a day
LG group of South Korea
Norks Helikopter
Offshore Logistics: 15 of the S-76C+ ordered in December 2002 and announced at Heli-Expo in February 2003 for delivery over five years (three each year). Options also taken on 24 more. Valued at around 100 million US-Dollars. First delivery was on 28 April 2003.
Palm Beach County Health Care Service: 2. “Trauma Hawk” EMS configuration
Senior Taxi Aerea: 4. Order announced 3 March 2003 for delivery later in the year. First S-76C+ operator in the country.
Toho Air Service (Japan): 1. In service since the spring of 2001 for airline service along a route of six islands around Hachijo Island

Around 500 S-76 had been delivered by the beginning of 2001.
S-76 delivery numbers in recent years were 7 in 2000, 7 in 1999, 16 in 1998, 18 in 1997, 9 in 1996, 14 in 1995, 15 in 1994, 9 in 1993, 12 in 1992, 18 in 1991, 16 in 1990, 17 in 1989, 11 in 1988, 13 in 1987, 10 in 1986, 19 in 1985, 27 in 1984, 23 in 1983, 28 in 1982, 42 in 1981, 85 in 1980, 36 in 1979.

Competitors (Konkurrenz)
Bell 412
Eurocopter EC 155

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The S-76C+ is the latest development of this corporate helicopter, and currently the only version in production. Its main feature is the Arriel engine, which gives excellent single-engine performance as well as good range.
Though the S-76 mainly sells as VIP and offshore helicopter, it is also offered for military duties and for naval use. EMS and SAR are other common applications. Equipment can include a rescue hoist, FLIR, Nightsun searchlight and 4-axis auto hovering system.
Previous models of the S-76 were:

S-76C, with Turboméca Arriel 1S1 engines of 539 kW (732 shp) power. Announced in June 1989 and first flown on 18 May 1990. FAA certification was achieved in April 1991. 43 delivered.
S-76B, a hot-and-high variant with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6B powerplant. The 101st and final machine was delivered in December 1997. First flight was on 22 June 1984, and certification was achieved in early 1987.
S-76A Mk.II was the standard version after March 1982. A total of 284 S-76A and Mk.IIs as well as utility models were built.
S-76A+ denotes the retrofit of Arriel 1S engines to the S-76A. 17 delivered.
S-76A, the basic civil model with Allison engines, built until March 1982. The first prototype flew on 13. March 1977 and deliveries started in early 1979 after FAA certification in November 1978.

History (Geschichte)
In 1993, Sikorsky and Turboméca agreed to proceed with development of the improved S-76C+, powered by the Arriel 2S1 engine. It provides 18 per cent more take-off power than the 1S1. The C+ was first flown in 1994, leading to certification and first deliveries in 1996.
In 2000, Sikorsky announced a restructuring of the programme to cut costs. Airframe production was outsourced to Aero Vodochody of the Czech Republic (with Fisher Advanced Composite Components from Austria manufacturing composite parts), while completion is now handled by Keystone Helicopter Corporation in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The first three S-76C+ from West Chester were handed over at the end of 2000. The first fuselage from Aero Vodochody arrived at Stratford in January 2001.
By February 2001, more than 500 S-76 have accumulated over 2,7 million flight hours with 192 operators in 44 countries.
On February 8, 2001, the S-76B/C/C+ were certified with the Honeywell Mark XXII EGPWS, a first for the industry.
At the Heli-Expo in Anaheim in February 2001, Sikorsky announced that go-ahead had been given for future product improvements for the S-76. They were tentatively planned for certification in 2004, but apparently not followed through with the urgency at first indicated. Among the new features announced were an uprated engine (Turboméca Arriel 2S2 with approcimately 6 per cent more power), an integrated cockpit (flat panel liquid crystal displays, digital data bus architecture and HUMS will be introduced), a quiet tail rotor (advanced airfoil design with swept tips. It had already been test flown) and a improved comfort interior (passive noise suppression, active vibration control, active noise control and low-noise transmission were studied).
By February 2003, more than 530 Sikorsky S-76 had accumulated over 3 million flight hours. 192 operators used the type in 44 countries.
At the Heli-Expo in February 2003, Sikorsky announced that the Turbomeca Arriel 2S2 engine with dual channel digital engine control will be available from 2005. An agreement with the French engine maker had been finalized on 29 October 2002. Additional features of the S-76 upgrade will include a Quiet Tail Rotor, new quiet gearbox technology and rotor de-ice capability, Sikorsky said.

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Last updated 1 July 2003

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