Military Utility Helicopters - Research Paper Example

Running Head: MILITARY UTILITY HELICOPTERS Military Utility Helicopters Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Advanced Rotorcraft Operations - ASCI-560 Mr. Ernie Stephens MAY-7-2013 Abstract This paper will explore the use of military utility helicopters. It will discuss the history of operations with military utility helicopters and prime examples and their applications. These examples include Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Boeing CH-47 Chinook and Bell UH-1 Iroquois. Apart from this, the paper will also explore the missions of these helicopters, the skills and experiences that pilots need and the problems affecting the utility sector. Introduction A military utility helicopter is basically a multipurpose helicopter used in various types of missions and operations (Johnson 2009). Such operations can include air attacks, ground attacks, MEDEVAC, cargo and transporting troops. The utility helicopter falls between a medium transport helicopter and a light observation helicopter in terms of size (Leishman 2000). The focus of this paper is to discuss the history of the utility helicopter, prime examples and their applications, missions of the helicopters, skills and experience needed and the problems affecting the utility helicopter sector. History of operation Igor Sikorsky was not the brains behind the helicopter although he is credited for making the very first operational helicopter (Lim 2009). Sikorsky was the equivalent of the Wright brothers in helicopter flight. In 1944, Sikorsky made a demonstration of the lifting power in a helicopter to the United States Coast Guard. That moment marked the beginning of military helicopters in the United States of America (Leishman 2000). However, the United States was not the first to use military helicopters. In fact, England and Germany were using helicopters in the Second World War, although there was no real military action involved. They were basically prototype models that were mainly used for rescue missions and spotting other planes. Between the end of World War II and up to the time of the Vietnam War, the development of military helicopters in the U.S and in the World increased dramatically. At the time, the US had made an important utility helicopter known as the Bell UH 1 or “Huey”. Military engineers had done some work on this helicopter for some time. They flew it for the first time in 1956 and revealed it in 1959 (Leishman 2000). This was strategic for the war in Vietnam and its environment, which was heavily forested and appropriate for guerilla warfare. The “Huey” served the purpose of transporting air cavalry units, medical evacuation and also for specialized support for attacks for land infantry. The “Huey” took the lead in military helicopters in America because it was being used for transportation and for direct combat engagement as well. From the classic “Huey”, the military of the United States moved to the huge Chinook model of transport just in a few years in the late 1960’s. The Chinook became a very useful helicopter in Middle East conflicts (Leishman 2000). Prime examples and their applications i) Bell UH-1 Iroquois The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter that has one turboshaft engine and a tail and main rotor with two blades. The development of this helicopter was done by Bell Helicopter to meet the needs of the U.S Army for an evacuation helicopter and a utility helicopter. It was flown for the first time in October 1956 (Bishop 2003). The first UH-1 combat operation was in the US Army at the time of the Vietnam War. The helicopter is used mainly in medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), general utility and medical training. The army was in need of the UH-1 because the exiting helicopters then, were very large, lacked sufficient power and were very complex for easy maintenance (Bishop 2003). ii) Boeing CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a twin engine American heavy lift helicopter with a tandem rotor. Its basic roles are the movement of troops, resupply on the battlefield and artillery emplacement. It has a broad loading ramp situated at the back of the fuselage and three cargo hooks on the outer side (Boeing 2013). It reaches its highest speed at 170 knots or 315 km/h, which is higher than that of contemporary utility as well as that of the attack helicopters of the 1960s. It is one of the heaviest, most capable Western helicopters and it is a multi-mission, heavy-lift transport helicopter (Boeing 2013). Its most significant mission is the movement of troops, ammunition, artillery, materials for making barriers, equipment and supplies in the battlefield. Other missions include disaster relief, civil development and heavy construction, medical evacuation; fire fighting, search and rescue, parachute drops and recovery of aircrafts (Boeing 2013). 1965 was the year that Chinooks were first used in combat in the Vietnam War. By 1968, the Chinook was having 161,000 hours of flight. It had carried 22.4 million passengers and over 1.3 million tons of luggages. In a particular day in the war, the Chinook air lifted 147 refugees on only one trip. For ten years before the end of the war, CH-47A, B and C had been serving very effectively. At the end of the war the Army and Boeing began plans for a huge upgrade of fleets which ended in the development of CH-47D. About 500 Chinooks from the early models were modernized through an extensive process that resulted in the production of the CH-47 fleet. Boeing finished the first deliveries on the D-model in 1982 upon which the program was concluded in 1994. Only 2 United States CH-47 Ds were made to take the place of the aircraft lost in the Persian Gulf War. iii) Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk has two engines and four blades. It is a medium utility helicopter used for various purposes such as air assaults, special operations, and MedEvac (Capewell 2013). The first Black Hawk was used in 1979 by the U.S Army’s 101st Airborne Division. This aeroplane took the place of the UH-1 Huey Iroquois helicopter. The design of the UH-60 Black Hawk is that which endures very extreme conditions and increases security during military operations. The safety features on the Black Hawk among others a drive and rotor system that is ballistic tolerant, components of high mass that were retained in 2020/20/18g crash conditions, anti-plow beams, wire strike protection and lower potential of roll over with installed crashworthy external fuel systems (CEFS) (Capewell 2013). The helicopter was used for the first time in the 1983 in the US invasion of Granada and the 1989 Panama invasion. The original production of the Black Hawk by the US Army became UH-60A. The Uh-60L came with upgraded T700-GE-701C engines together with other updates. The UH-60M came with more improvements and became the replacement for the Black Hawks. Black hawks have taken part in almost all US Military operations since the 1980s (Torrin 2012). The Sirkosy model was settled upon to replace the UH-1 Iroquois model in the US Army. It was going to meet the requirement for a utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System. The prototype flew for the first time on 17th October 1974. The Army then ordered 2, 260 of them but due to budgetary constraints only 1,400 were delivered. The size of the Black hawk is bigger than that of the UH-1 and the first helicopters was able to carry 20 troops as opposed to 11 in addition to a huge load under it. The UH-60 is very easily air portable. One UH-60 can be contained inside a C-130 Hercules. Two of them can fit inside a C-141 Star Lifter while six of them fit into a C-5 Galaxy. Skills and experience needed Pilots are supposed to engage in low tech-visual navigation to very small landing zones on roads and many other landmarks in wide expansive jungles, hills, and mountains and at times with only machine guns mounted on doors for protection (Bishop 2003). The pilot should be able to transport light cargo such as medical supplies. The helicopter can be used in aeromedical evacuation of incapacitated or wounded soldiers. The pilot should have the skill and experience of quickly maneuvering the aircraft and also be able to battle non ideal conditions like gun fire and bad weather (Bishop 2003). Pilots should have the skill and experience of safely operating the aircraft in different conditions (Capewell 2013). They should keep it in flight in low visibility conditions such as in the night and in bad weather and in hazardous areas of combat. Pilots must be current and meet the proficiency requirements of flight. During air assault, the pilots should position the helicopter in a manner that its aerial gunners can fire and support ground soldiers. Pilots should also be able to use night goggles and engage in maneuvers to evade enemy fire (Capewell 2013). The helicopter helps in the mobilization of the army because it has the ability of transporting soldiers (Boeing 2013). Pilots have the responsibility of moving soldiers safely to their landing zones and delivering them in an advantageous position to help them get an upper hand in combat. Lifting and transporting supplies to the battlefield is an important role. Therefore, the pilot should be able to carefully fly the helicopter to transport important equipment in hazardous areas of combat (Boeing 2013). Utility helicopter pilots are also supposed to pass through the Undergraduate Pilot Training program. Problems plaguing the utility sector The helicopter utility sector has various problems. The demand for utility helicopters is rising by the day and the manufacturers have to keep in tough with this demand. It is also a big challenge to get pilots that are capable of flying so many different utility missions. Most of the older pilots just work seasonally before they go on retirement. A big challenge that faces the sector is to recruit engineers and pilots. Most of the experienced people are going on retirement and there are not as many others to take their place. This problem is being compounded by the fact that the existing high demand for the services of utility helicopters is rising. The military utility sector has some of its needs not taken care of properly. For example, the sector needs helicopters that can be used to perform duties that those available today cannot. The issue of technological advancement comes into play. Military men would desire to have utility helicopters that lift heavier objects, can go at a faster speed than the fastest helicopter and are less affected by technical problem while in operation. Conclusion In conclusion, the paper has discussed the military utility helicopters. Military utility helicopters are basically multipurpose helicopters. Some of them include Boeing CH-47 Chinook and Bell UH-1 Iroquois and the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. The utility helicopters were first used in history during the Second World War. Sikorsky developed the first foundational helicopter that surprised the world, the model he made turned out to be the baseline design of helicopters for all helicopters to this moment. The helicopters are used in combat zones for transporting troops, supplying medical equipment and evacuating injured soldiers as well as lifting objects. Pilots must be skilled in flying under difficult conditions such as bad weather and night times. They should also maneuver to evade enemy fire and to land in unusually difficult places. Utility helicopters have revolutionized military operations around the world. Engineers are in the process of making better inventions and alterations that would further revolutionize these operations. References Bishop, C. (2003). Bell UH-1 Huey ‘Slicks’ 1962-75. Osprey Publishing. Capewell (2013). History of the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. Capewell corp. Boeing (2013). History: CH-47 Chinook. Boeing. Johnson, E.R. (2009). American Flying Boats and Amphibious Aircraft: An Illustrated History. McFarland. Leishman G.A (2000). History of Helicopter Flight. Cambridge University Press. Lim, L. (2009). A systematic Approach to Design for Lifelong Aircraft Evolution. ProQuest. McMahon J. & Gumaledar A. (2009). Strategic Issues facing the Utility Industry: Perspectives on 2008 and looking forward. CRA International. Torrin, K. (2012). A guide to Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Technical Details, its Manufacturer, Operators, Weaponry, and More. Webster’s Digital Services. Read More

The helicopter is used mainly in medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), general utility and medical training. The army was in need of the UH-1 because the exiting helicopters then, were very large, lacked sufficient power and were very complex for easy maintenance (Bishop 2003). ii) Boeing CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a twin engine American heavy lift helicopter with a tandem rotor. Its basic roles are the movement of troops, resupply on the battlefield and artillery emplacement. It has a broad loading ramp situated at the back of the fuselage and three cargo hooks on the outer side (Boeing 2013).

It reaches its highest speed at 170 knots or 315 km/h, which is higher than that of contemporary utility as well as that of the attack helicopters of the 1960s. It is one of the heaviest, most capable Western helicopters and it is a multi-mission, heavy-lift transport helicopter (Boeing 2013). Its most significant mission is the movement of troops, ammunition, artillery, materials for making barriers, equipment and supplies in the battlefield. Other missions include disaster relief, civil development and heavy construction, medical evacuation; fire fighting, search and rescue, parachute drops and recovery of aircrafts (Boeing 2013).

1965 was the year that Chinooks were first used in combat in the Vietnam War. By 1968, the Chinook was having 161,000 hours of flight. It had carried 22.4 million passengers and over 1.3 million tons of luggages. In a particular day in the war, the Chinook air lifted 147 refugees on only one trip. For ten years before the end of the war, CH-47A, B and C had been serving very effectively. At the end of the war the Army and Boeing began plans for a huge upgrade of fleets which ended in the development of CH-47D.

About 500 Chinooks from the early models were modernized through an extensive process that resulted in the production of the CH-47 fleet. Boeing finished the first deliveries on the D-model in 1982 upon which the program was concluded in 1994. Only 2 United States CH-47 Ds were made to take the place of the aircraft lost in the Persian Gulf War. iii) Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk has two engines and four blades. It is a medium utility helicopter used for various purposes such as air assaults, special operations, and MedEvac (Capewell 2013).

The first Black Hawk was used in 1979 by the U.S Army’s 101st Airborne Division. This aeroplane took the place of the UH-1 Huey Iroquois helicopter. The design of the UH-60 Black Hawk is that which endures very extreme conditions and increases security during military operations. The safety features on the Black Hawk among others a drive and rotor system that is ballistic tolerant, components of high mass that were retained in 2020/20/18g crash conditions, anti-plow beams, wire strike protection and lower potential of roll over with installed crashworthy external fuel systems (CEFS) (Capewell 2013).

The helicopter was used for the first time in the 1983 in the US invasion of Granada and the 1989 Panama invasion. The original production of the Black Hawk by the US Army became UH-60A. The Uh-60L came with upgraded T700-GE-701C engines together with other updates. The UH-60M came with more improvements and became the replacement for the Black Hawks. Black hawks have taken part in almost all US Military operations since the 1980s (Torrin 2012). The Sirkosy model was settled upon to replace the UH-1 Iroquois model in the US Army.

It was going to meet the requirement for a utility Tactical Transport Aircraft System. The prototype flew for the first time on 17th October 1974. The Army then ordered 2, 260 of them but due to budgetary constraints only 1,400 were delivered. The size of the Black hawk is bigger than that of the UH-1 and the first helicopters was able to carry 20 troops as opposed to 11 in addition to a huge load under it. The UH-60 is very easily air portable. One UH-60 can be contained inside a C-130 Hercules.

Two of them can fit inside a C-141 Star Lifter while six of them fit into a C-5 Galaxy.

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