Erickson Incorporated, a worldwide brand of operator, maintainer, and manufacturer of utility aircraft, has announced final FAA certification for the composite main rotor blades on the S-64F and CH-54B. Earlier this year, Erickson announced FAA approval of the S-64E model.
This recent announcement finalizes the certification of the S-64F and CH-54B, solidifying FAA certification for the entire fleet of S-64 Air Crane E & F models, as well as the CH-54 Skycrane A & B models. The advanced design of the blades provides a significant performance advantage, especially at hot and high conditions.
Difficult but satisfying
This certification brings considerable advantages, such as:
- Performance gains
- Fuel savings
- Reduced vibration, meaning reduced wear and fatigue on the entire aircraft
- Blade interchangeability with the E/A models
"It was quite difficult, but extremely satisfying to see this project through to completion. There are a lot of blood sweat and tears in those blades.” says Billy Johnson, Chief Engineer at Erickson Incorporated.
manufacturing key aerospace parts
Erickson is a renowned global provider of aviation services specializing in defense and national security, manufacturing, Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO), and Civil services. Erickson Manufacturing and MRO services include manufacturing the S-64 Air Crane helicopter as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) as well as manufacturing key aerospace parts for aerospace OEMs.
Commercial aerial services include the operation of 20 Erickson owned and operated S-64 Air Crane helicopters to perform firefighting, powerline construction, timber harvesting, HVAC, and specialized heavy-lift for oil and gas. Founded in 1971, Erickson is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, USA, and maintains operations in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Australia.