CH-53K Tests its Power at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground

摘要

The CH-53 has been a potent member of the Marine Aviation fleet for more than 40 years, but the newest version takes the platform to a whole new level. Equipped with three, 7,500 horsepower engines, the CH-53K King Stallion boasts twice the heavy-lift capability over its predecessors. The most impressive new feature, though, is fly-by-wire technology that computerizes flight controls and represents a major advancement over hydraulic ones. In addition to making the aircraft lighter, the new controls assist pilots, particularly in degraded visual environments. The CH-53K has undergone extensive developmental testing that utilized the degraded visual environment (DVE) test course at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) for more than two years, most recently to verify software updates in the flight control software that have been made as a result of this testing.