USMC orders CH-53K
Sikorsky has received a $3 billion contract to develop the CH-53K shipborne heavylift helicopter – a growth version of the CH-53E – for the US Marine Corps. First flight is scheduled for 2011, with service entry planned for 2015. The USMC plans to buy 156 new-build CH-53Ks to replace its CH-53Es.



The CH-53K has virtually the same deck footprint as the E, but maximum take-off weight rises to 38,420kg (84,700lb), from 33,110kg, and payload/range nearly doubles to 12,250kg over 240km (110nm) in hot-and-high conditions. The cabin is 0.3m (12in) wider, to accommodate an HMMWV internally, but large fuel-carrying composite sponsons cut overall width by 1.83m.

The new main rotor has a low-maintenance elastomeric hub and composite blades with new aerofoil and anhedral tips, and is powered via a new drive system by three 6,000shp (4,500kW)-class turboshafts. Selection of suppliers for the engines, integrated glass cockpit, fly-by-wire flight controls and other systems will be made later this year. Electrical and hydraulic systems will be improved and survivability increased.

The USMC says its 150 CH-53Es will begin reaching the end of their 6,120h fatigue life in 2011 at a rate of up to 15 aircraft a year. Deliveries of production CH-53Ks are to begin in 2013 and be completed in 2022.

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Looks like technological stagnation to me.

The M-16 is how old now?

Where are the innovations: Flying Atomic Cars? Robot whores? Moon bases with robot whores?

Quoted: Looks like technological stagnation to me. The M-16 is how old now? Where are the innovations: Flying Atomic Cars? Robot whores? Moon bases with robot whores?

And if the government started working on that sort of stuff, you know what would happen?!?  Everyone would wonder why we got rid of the F-14
Matt

Quoted: Looks like technological stagnation to me. The M-16 is how old now? Where are the innovations: Flying Atomic Cars? Robot whores? Moon bases with robot whores? Planes that turn into helicopters with swiveling engines and rotors.......

"The cabin is 0.3m (12in) wider, to accommodate an HMMWV internally,"

Finally!

I hope they simplified the blade fold system, and greatly improved the engine cowlings.  Those are two of the most agonizing things with the CH-53E, as far as maintenance concerns go.  ETA> I guess I'll ask the guy sitting next to me, doh!  We commonly refer to it as the "HLR"; which means Heavy Lift Replacement.

I've had quite the H-53 career.  First worked on the A and D's, then the E's, then the "block upgrade" E's, then navy MH-53E's, then back to the final iteration of the CH-53E.  Last I checked, CH-53E's had the highest maintenance man-hour to flight  hour ratio of any aircraft in the USMC inventory; around 27 maintenance hours for every flight hour flown.  It is overly complicated as it is now.

It seems to me that both the Marine Corps and the American taxpayer would have been better served to go with a simplified CH-53 variant, rather than sinking obscene amounts of money and lives into the Osprey.

The Echo's already a big boy.  This Kilo's gunna be huge.

Quoted: I hope they simplified the blade fold system, and greatly improved the engine cowlings.  Those are two of the most agonizing things with the CH-53E, as far as maintenance concerns go.  ETA> I guess I'll ask the guy sitting next to me, doh!  We commonly refer to it as the "HLR"; which means Heavy Lift Replacement. I've had quite the H-53 career.  First worked on the A and D's, then the E's, then the "block upgrade" E's, then navy MH-53E's, then back to the final iteration of the CH-53E.  Last I checked, CH-53E's had the highest maintenance man-hour to flight  hour ratio of any aircraft in the USMC inventory; around 27 maintenance hours for every flight hour flown.  It is overly complicated as it is now. It seems to me that both the Marine Corps and the American taxpayer would have been better served to go with a simplified CH-53 variant, rather than sinking obscene amounts of money and lives into the Osprey.

Buy Chinooks........