Sikorsky Skycrane Versatile Heavy Lifter

摘要

The concept for a 'flying crane' was proposed by helicopter pioneer Igor Sikorsky as early as 1955 and the company's S-60 research aircraft took to the air on its maiden flight on March 25,1959. The S-60 chalked up more than 335 hours of flight-testing before it was written off in a mishap on April 3,1961. Its relative success resulted in Sikorsky Aircraft's decision to continue development of the concept using company funds.Retaining the S-60's basic airframe configuration, the S-64A Skycrane that evolved replaced the flying crane's Pratt & Whitney R2800 radial engines with turboshafts. The S-64's simple boom-like fuselage backbone supported two 4,050shp (3,020kW) Pratt & Whitney JFTD12A-1 engines, main and tail rotors and the cockpit section. The non-traditional design did not have a cabin, and was intended to carry its cargo externally.