FARNBOROUGH, England, July 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW -- Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced today that it has begun delivering S-76D™ aircraft equipped for Executive Transport services. The announcement was made at the 2014 Farnborough Air Show in Farnborough, United Kingdom. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
"The S-76 aircraft line has a long legacy of reliability, safety and service, and we are confident VIP customers will be pleased with the comfort and performance the new S-76D helicopter provides," said Dan Hunter, director, Platforms, Sikorsky Commercial Systems & Services.
Sikorsky delivered the first S-76D aircraft to Bristow Group, Inc. for offshore oil worker transport in December 2013. Today, Sikorsky also announced that it has begun delivering S-76D aircraft equipped for search-and-rescue (SAR) service. By the end of this year, the company expects to deliver S-76D helicopters equipped for the Emergency Medical Services; the fourth and final mission segment for the S-76D helicopter.
For more than three decades, corporate executives and heads of state have recognized the S-76® helicopter as the standard of excellence for personal transportation. S-76D helicopter VIP options include a customized interior with seating for five to eight passengers. Uniquely, the S-76D helicopter can hold its rotor system still while running an engine to power the on-board air-conditioning system for safe, comfortable loading and unloading into the pre-cooled cabin during the summer season and hot climates. In the future, the S-76D helicopter will be certified to fly in icing conditions via optional de-icing capability for the main and tail rotor blades. Sikorsky's exclusive active vibration control and Quiet Zone™ transmission technology provide extraordinarily smooth and quiet cabin conditions allowing normal conversations.
Sikorsky has delivered more than 800 S-76 helicopters to customers globally since 1979, contributing daily to a growing 6.5-million-plus fleet flight hours total.
The new generation S-76D helicopter, through its application of modern technologies, provides a substantial increase in performance, power and authority. The S-76D helicopter's baseline equipment includes powerful and efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engines; an advanced THALES TopDeck ® integrated avionics system and four-axis autopilot; Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) incorporated into fleet monitoring and analysis; active vibration control; and all-composite, flaw-tolerant main and tail rotor blades. A Rotor Ice Protection System (RIPS) for all-weather capability will be available as an option.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Connecticut, is a world leader in aircraft design, manufacture and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, provides a broad range of high-technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.
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SOURCE Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.