up to 30,000 lb., positioning them as potential commuter aircraft, capable of delivering passengers between urban centers. Cherepinsky says the goal of the HEX program is to “break the
paradigm” that vertical lift aircraft are more expensive to operate than fixed- wing aircraft. “We’re interested in vehicles that
operate the way normal helicopters are used to operating but roughly doubling
the range,” he says, with speeds in the high-200–kt. range. To keep manufacturing costs low,
READY FOR THE MAY 2027
Sikorsky envisions a family of HEX products featuring systems with a high degree of commonality. With that goal, Sikorsky is designing the power elec- tronics, motors, and controls in-house and liberally using 3D printing for com- plex, sophisticated components such as forgings and castings. According to Cherepinsky, devel-
SMS MANDATE? DON’T WORRY, WE’VE GOT YOU.
VAI has partnered with 6 leading SMS providers to offer big savings to members. Choose the SMS that best fits your operation, from simple to in-depth:
oping the HEX prototype has enabled “lots of learning” for the Innovations team, which has already been through “several generations” of electric motor design. The first aircraft is already being assembled, and power-on and ground runs could commence in short order. As with many new aircraft in devel-
opment, HEX aircraft aren’t intended to replace traditional helicopters, Cherepinsky says. He expects the lim- ited hover time of HEX aircraft to make them unsuited for some missions, such as search and rescue or construction. “These aren’t meant to be long-term hover machines. … They aren’t going to hover for two hours to pick somebody out of the water.”
A Trusted and Approved Partner
A Full Plate It’s fair to say that Sikorsky Innovations has no shortage of projects. And while the team tends to thrive on inten- sity, they do things to relieve stress, including bringing in pizza and flying remote-control airplanes and helicop- ters. Cherepinsky’s current favorite is his fully aerobatic 700-size electric helicopter. “It’s fun right up until you do some- thing wrong—and it crashes.”
Learn more at
verticalavi.org/safety/sms
Mark Huber is an aviation journalist with more than two decades of experience in the vertical flight industry.
JUN 2025 POWER UP 57
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