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Erickson Introduces Next-Generation Water Cannon for S-64 Air Crane®
Helicopter
Erickson Incorporated recently announced the next-generation water cannon. The new water cannon will be available to customers in about a year, according to Manager of Autonomous Aircraft Development Joey Sasser.
The water cannon is an accessory that can be installed on the S-64 Air Crane®
helicopter within a few hours, according to
Sasser. It is in the final prototyping stage now and will be ready for customer installation by next spring.
Sasser said that it is a complete overhaul from the earlier water cannon, and is much more capable than anything else in today’s aerial firefighting marketplace. The next-generation water cannon offers the following: • •
Rapid installation on the S-64 Air Crane® helicopter
Driven electrically via power generated by the aircraft drive system, rather than with hydraulic pumps, making the product lighter due to elimination of bulky hydraulic equipment
• • • •
Increased water flows from 200 gallons (about the volume of a large refrigerator) per minute to 900 gallons (about half the volume of a storage unit) per minute
Increased stabilization of the water cannon through an inertial measurement unit that keeps the water cannon pointed at a fixed location despite movement of the aircraft
Improvements in distance of water reach – can shoot 210 feet (approximate 3x the rotor disc diameter) from the ground, and can shoot side-to-side while in the air
Articulation of the water cannon is now all directions – shoots forward, right to left, up and down, enabling safe operation and fires to be targeted more effectively
According to Sasser, “The huge benefit of this design is that the system is significantly more capable than anything else on the market, ultimately allowing crews to put more water on hard-to-reach fires than ever before.” Sasser explained that the system, once released to the market, will demonstrate proof of the concept of a modern, accessible, and more effective water cannon.
24 Mar/Apr 2022
“We are pleased to introduce this new variant of the proven Lakota in operation with our first National Guard units, as the capabilities of the new UH-72B will help us provide the safest and most modern solution to be successful in our essential missions,” said Mike Hadley, vice president of NGAUS. “We’re proud of the teams who work hard every day serving and protecting our nation, and we hope to be able to expand the UH-72B into other states’ fleets in the future.”
The UH-72B is the latest iteration of the proven commercial off- the-shelf (COTS) aircraft that has been the Army’s Light Utility Helicopter since the first Lakota contract award and delivery in 2006. Based on the widely successful H145, the UH-72B incorporates technologies that increase both safety and flight performance, including the latest five-bladed main rotor, the Fenestron shrouded tail rotor, two Safran Arriel 2E engines, and the Airbus-designed Helionix avionics suite.
“The latest variant of the proven and mission-capable H145 family, the UH-72B, is a welcome addition to the National Guard fleet for their critical missions saving lives, providing natural disaster relief, interdicting illegal drugs, ensuring homeland security and more,” said Scott Tumpak, vice president responsible for Airbus military helicopter programs in the U.S. “We’re proud to continue supporting the Lakota legacy of success, and congratulate the Arizona National Guard on their inaugural UH-72B mission flights.”
After taking delivery of the first UH-72B Lakota helicopter in September last year, the U.S. Army National Guard is finalizing its training and will begin fielding the new helicopter with numerous state Guard units, beginning with Arizona. Subsequent states to operate the new 5-bladed UH-72B include Colorado and New Mexico later this year, followed by additional National Guard units as new UH-72B helicopters are delivered.
Army National Guard to Operate First UH-72B in Arizona
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