SIKORSKY’S NEXT ACT(S)
offices adjacent to lab space. “We’re open to ideas, some
would say crazy ideas,” says Cherepinsky. “But unlike a tech start-up, we have a much more defined mission: to develop new products for the vertical lift mis- sion of Sikorsky.” Innovations is part of virtually
recently said the company remains confident in the X2 technology. Sikorsky is exploring possible
every development project at Sikorsky, such as the X2 family of fast compound coaxial-rotor helicopters, including the Raider X and Defiant X, designed for the US Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) and Future Long- Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) programs. The X2 technology demonstration aircraft achieved a for-
ward speed of 250 kt. in level flight in 2010, a feat that later won its development team the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy from the National Aeronautic Association. Despite the army’s 2022 decision to award the FLRAA contract to Bell Textron (and outright canceling the FARA program in 2024), Richard Benton, Sikorsky VP and general manager,
Richard Benton, Sikorsky VP and general manager
Igor Cherepinsky, Sikorsky Innovations director
applications for the X2, includ- ing NATO’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability concept competition. In 2024, NATO awarded related study contracts to Airbus, Leonardo, and Sikorsky parent Lockheed Martin to deliver a new class of medium helicopters
between 2035 and 2040. Innovations will be a big part of that effort, as well as
several others for the company. The list of innovative pro- grams Sikorsky is working on, as described below, is long and diverse.
S-92 Phase IV Main Gearbox Sikorsky expects FAA certification later this year for a new main gearbox (MGB) for the S-92 helicopter featuring an auxiliary lubrication system that automatically engages in the event of primary oil pressure loss. This eliminates the
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POWER UP JUN 2025
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