Aircraft Sales

In 1992, Erickson Air-Crane purchased the Type Certificate for the S-64 Skycrane helicopter from Sikorsky Aircraft. Since that time, under the H6EA Type Certificate, we have manufactured 14 S-64 helicopters under the new designation of "Erickson S-64 Aircrane." A milestone in helicopter manufacturing happened in Central Point, Oregon when, in February of 1993, the first civilian FAA certified "Standard Transport Category" S-64 "F" model, rolled out of the Erickson hangar with a longer main rotor chord length, reinforced tailboom and a 25,000-pound (~11,340 kg) rated lift capacity. Until that time a civilian counterpart to the military CH-54B model heavy lifter did not exist.

The remanufacture process begins with the arrival of a CH-54 or S-64 airframe. All existing avionics, wiring, hydraulic lines, and accessories are removed and the airframe undergoes a chemical paint removal process down to the bare metal. Each individual section of sheet metal as well as every spar and stringer is inspected and tested for integrity. Any defects are repaired using FAA certified procedures.

After the airframe has been thoroughly overhauled and inspected, Erickson technicians install fully assembled Pratt & Whitney turbine jet engines. Avionics Technicians string the miles of wiring and state of the art Communication, Navigation, and Global Positioning Systems. Hydraulic Technicians install all of the necessary conduits and pumps that enable powerful direct linkage flight controls augmented by a complicated network of servos and gyros that make up the Automatic Flight Control System or the "Power Steering" for the Aircrane.

The entire remanufacture process typically takes 6-9 months from receipt of a decommissioned airframe to demonstration and certification of airworthiness depending on the configuration requested by the customer. Prospective buyers may request the following:

1. S-64 "E" or "F" model Aircrane in the Construction Configuration with a fully operational aft-pilot station, 25,000-pound (~11,340 kg) capacity winch with cargo hook, and patented anti-rotation device.
2. S-64 "E" or "F" model Aircrane in the Fire Suppression Configuration with the 2,650 gallon (10,000 litre) variable flow tank, "Hover Snorkel" 45-second refill hose, "Sea Snorkel" hydrofoil sea water ram scoop, and the "Water Cannon" 300 gpm (~1,136 lpm) horizontal stream delivery nozzle.
3. Further accessories include a wide-mouth hydroseeding refill manifold with on-board agitation system to keep the mix in suspension during flight and a 3,000 psi external hydraulic power pack for long-line grapple timber harvesting operations.
4. **It is important to note that the information above is meant for education and reference purposes and does not constitute any binding proposals. It is highly recommended that any potential buyer for the S-64 Aircrane contact our Sales and Marketing Department for further discussion about how we can best provide an Erickson S-64 Aircrane helicopter to fit each set of individual needs.