CH-53K King Stallion lifts 27,000 lb external load

West Palm Beach, Florida – Lockheed Martin officials have announced the CH-53K King Stallion successfully completed an external lift of a 27,000 lb payload at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Test Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

 

The aircraft executed an “out of ground effect” (OGE) external load test at 100ft above the ground while performing hover maneuvers to demonstrate control authority in this flight regime. An OGE load is the most stressful of lift conditions for a helicopter in power required. OGE is defined as an altitude greater than the helicopter's main rotor diameter (79ft in the King Stallion's case) where power demand greatly increases due to loss of the benefit of ground effect.

 

“This 27,000 lb external lift is yet another key milestone for the program,” said Dr. Michael Torok, Sikorsky Vice President, CH-53K Programs. “The King Stallion achieved this external lift with ease, and we are on track to successfully complete the initial operational assessment this year.”

 

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Co., is developing the CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps.

 

The CH-53K has already achieved speeds exceeding 140kts, and a third CH-53K King Stallion helicopter has joined the flight test program, accelerating the pace to full aircraft maturity and production. The first two aircraft have already verified the King Stallion’s capabilities well in excess of the predecessor CH-53E. A fourth King Stallion is currently in final preparation for flight status and on track to join the flight test program this summer.

 

The King Stallion will carry a 27,000 lb external load over 110nm at 91.5°F at an altitude of 3,000ft – a Navy operational requirement for “high hot” conditions. 

 

CH-53K pilots can execute heavy lift missions in day/night and all weather with the King Stallion’s modern glass cockpit. Fly-by-wire flight controls reduce pilot workload for all heavy lift missions including external loads, maritime operations, and operation in degraded visual environments. With more than triple the payload capability of the predecessor CH-53E, the King Stallion’s increased capability can accommodate a range of payloads from an internally loaded High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) up to three independent external loads at once, providing wide mission flexibility and system efficiency. Additionally, a locking U.S. Air Force pallet compatible cargo rail system reduces both effort and time to load and unload palletized cargo.

 

The U.S. Department of Defense's Program of Record remains at 200 CH-53K aircraft, with the first four of the 200 scheduled for delivery next year to the USMC.