The Pentagon has a way-out-there plan to build massive helicopters to haul future armored vehicles around the battlefield. It's called Joint Heavy Lift, and it has inspired some crazy concepts from chopper builders such as Sikorsky and Boeing (see right). But the unlikeliest bird vying for this unlikely contract is something dating from the 1960s. At the bottom of a rather, um, specialized article in Overhaul & Maintenance on rebuilding old S-64 Aircrane/Skycrane, author Robert Moorman slips in this little gold nugget:
On the possible production restart, Erickson was very candid: "We're currently marketing the aircraft as the S-64F," said Erick Fraenkel, vice president of plant operations for [heavy lift firm] Erickson.
*Fraenkel confirmed the company is talking with potential partners for what is likely to be an "expensive proposition," noted one helicopter expert. The expert says the demand for new Aircranes would have to be "upwards of 300" for the project to be worthwhile. *
But there is a potential new role for which the Aircrane may be perfectly suited. The U.S. Pentagon is exploring a concept called Joint Heavy Lift, which calls for an aircraft capable of carrying 20 to 28 tons of combat systems to the battlefield. To that, Fraenkel was equally forthcoming. "We are at the beginning phase of making appropriate contacts within the military," he said. If the green light is given for re-start, Fraenkel said, "we would partner with M7 to produce center sections for us."
