First Tata-made Sikorsky S-92 helicopter airframe flies

[IND151]

The first Sikorsky S-92 – a large, twin-engine helicopter that can be used for both civil and military purposes – with a Made-in-India airframe is now flying in Brazil.

Air Vice Marshal (retd) Arvind Walia, Sikorsky’s regional executive for India and South Asia, told India Strategic defence magazine (..:: India Strategic ::.. Home Page: The authoritative monthly on Defence and Strategic Affairs.) that the Tatas have supplied 15 airframes to the US company, which is fitting them with cockpits, engines, systems and rotors. The completed helicopters are then ready for supply to global customers.


The flight tests on the first Tata-made S-92 cabin have progressed satisfactorily and the helicopter is now being customised for supply to Lider Aviacao of Brazil. Lider charters both aircraft and helicopters for multi-applications, including servicing offshore oil installations.

Sikorsky and the Tata group already have a 26:74 partnership joint venture, TARA, which manufactures and supplies about 4,300 components to the Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL) in Hyderabad. TASL, a Tata company, makes the cabins, fits them with these components and sends them to the Sikorsky facility at Coatsville in Pennsylvania.

Walia said TASL is turning out the airframes at the low rate initial production (LRIP) of two a month but should be moved to three a month in accordance with the demand by 2013.
The production line moves as in a conveyor belt and the airframes would operate anywhere in the world, from wherever the orders come.

In interviews with India Strategic in London, two of Sikorsky’s top executives said the company would develop India as a hub for manufacturing in the coming years, depending on Indian and international requirements.

Steve Estill, vice president (Strategic Partnerships), and Bob Kokorda, vice president (Worldwide Sales and Marketing) said that while the S-92 is primarily a civilian helicopter, Sikorsky was also open to manufacturing military helicopters in India.

A significant offer by the company, they pointed out, is to develop a high-altitude helicopter for India which could be comfortably deployed in heights above 20,000 feet for both strategic and logistics operations.

India has the toughest battlefield requirements, like no other in the world, due to the Himalayan heights, as in Siachen.

Both Kakorda and Estill said that Sikorsky could conduct R&D for this exclusive venture either in collaboration with an Indian entity like HAL or all by itself, depending upon the Indian government’s mandate. The proposed machine would involve newer technologies and high use of advanced composite materials.

Walia said that he had already mentioned this offer to Indian authorities in discussions. “The Indian specifications are very difficult and any solutions would need unique rotor technologies and advanced performance parameters.”

The idea is to develop a helicopter which can perform reconnaissance and land at Siachen-like heights with a full load of cargo or troops, a capability which does not yet exist anywhere in the world.

At present, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army operate HAL-made Cheetah and Dhruv helicopters with partial load in extreme conditions and with extreme care in touch and go operations.

Notably, Sikorsky has already signed an agreement with the Tatas to produce military helicopters in India.

Walia pointed out that it took only four years to produce the S-92 airframes after the initial agreement between the two groups in 2007. The first airframe was produced in October 2011 and sent to the US.

“We mean well and we mean business, on-time performance and deliveries, precision qualities and latest technologies,” Walia observed.

None of the three Sikorsky officials disclosed the cost of an airframe but industry sources said that normally, this should be around 15 per cent of the completed machine, depending upon the systems and avionics.

Progressive manufacture of components, as done by TARA, would bring in more value to the Indian venture.

First Tata-made Sikorsky S-92 helicopter airframe flies | idrw.org

 

[IND151]

another feather in hat of TATA

 

[Kyusuibu Honbu]

Very good for Indian defence private sector.

 

[IND151]

^^ indeed very good

 

[Gessler]

TATA should steal the designs and make a medium-lift chopper to replace Mi-8/17 for IA/IAF now!!

 

[sms]

^^^^ :LOL:
Did you visit China recently?

 

[Raje amar]

TATA should steal the designs and make a medium-lift chopper to replace Mi-8/17 for IA/IAF now!!

there isent much to steel.......
the cabin & internal fitment is as good as fabricating a Cab of a car...... not much engineering involved.
the Sikorski has keept the crucial componants to themselfs lets say enging, cockpit, systems, etc.

we need to get more TOT & manufacture the whole system in India itself.

OLD NEWS..... BUT THOUGHT MAY BE USEFUL READ....
Sikorsky-Tata joint venture applies for defence licence


US-based chopper manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, part of United Technologies Corp, and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) have applied for a defence licence to manufacture components and assemble helicopters for use by the Indian Navy, according to Steve Estill, vice-president (strategic partnerships), Sikorsky.

“The licence will pave the way for us to set up an assembly line in this country. We will decide on our plans once we hear from the Ministry of Defence. We expect our application to be cleared from the ministry in the second quarter of this financial year,” he told mediapersons here on Monday.

L&T and Mahindra & Mahindra are among the other big Indian companies that have received licences in the past to manufacture defence equipment.

India liberalised the defence industry in 2001, allowing 100 per cent participation by the private sector with foreign direct investment permissible up to 26 per cent, both subject to licensing and security clearance.

The Sikorsky-TASL contract was formed in 2009 to make helicopter cabins for the US company. Both the companies had also signed an agreement to create a joint venture that will manufacture aerospace components for Sikorsky in India, including components for S-92 helicopter cabins. TASL has 74 per cent shares in the JV. The JV broke ground last year and started producing over 4,000 parts and sub-assemblies for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft from this March 6 from its facility on the outskirts of Hyderabad .

According to Arvind Walia, executive vice-president (India and South Asia), Sikorsky, the company was among the two firms to be shortlisted by the ministry to supply 16 multi-role choppers to the defence sector.

“We expect to be L1 for this contract, which is pegged at about $1 billion. The only other manufacturer to be shortlisted is a European company called NH Industries. We have completed all formalities as far as the flight evaluation trials are concerned. We hope to here from the ministry a firm date for opening of commercial bids in the next two weeks,” he said.

Walia said the naval multi-role helicopter contract was under the ‘buy and make (Indian)’ category, which allowed private sector companies to bid and hold the primary contract, and that the programme was at the RFI (request for information) stage.

“We have provided the information and Sikorsky has no hesitations in addressing this requirement of this country for the ‘buy and make’ category. Our aim would be to bid locally. We can rename our Tata-Sikorsky JV so it will be a local company bidding in the next round for the Navy,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Tata-Sikorsky S-92 helicopter cabin manufacturing facility here is doubling its production to 26 units annually from this month on the back of growing demand.

“Right now, the cabins that we make here are fitted with all components produced by Sikorsky-Mitsubishi’s Japan facility, which is being closed down in a phased manner. Within a year, the Hyderabad facility will use completely indigenous components for its cabins,” Walia said.

Sikorsky had so far delivered S-92 choppers globally. S-92, a tricycle-configured chopper with a nose wheel, costs around $22 million. The company expects to sell around 120 units worldwide over the next two years.

“The Indian commercial and military helicopter markets are set to touch $8 billion and $33 billion respectively over the next 25-30 years, to become the second largest chopper market in the world after the US. We hope to sell at least two units in the commercial market here, if not more, this year,” Estill said

 

[dott]

awsome. Tata flying high.

 

[Sergi]

Good news hope team TATA can absorb the airframe design and development parameters so one day they can make their own frame for different sized heli

 

[DARIUS]

I don't know whether any of u would agree but I personally feel that TATA has got a huge potential and such developments are meager given the Financial and asset base of the country!!They could actually foray independently into the aviation manufacturing industry since they have the capacity to hire appropriate manpower!!

 

[IND151]

^^ yes. they can. just like Reliance Aerospace LTD

 

[Yogi]

this is awesome more private r coming in aviation business
TATA's have always made India proud...

 

[Water Car Engineer]

I don't know whether any of u would agree but I personally feel that TATA has got a huge potential and such developments are meager given the Financial and asset base of the country!!They could actually foray independently into the aviation manufacturing industry since they have the capacity to hire appropriate manpower!!

I think the Indian private players will eventually become more competent than public players in many areas(in defense equipment, manufacturing, etc). DRDO will probably still dominate the missile business though.

 

[IND151]

^^ good photos

 

[dekho]

HAL should definitely give license to TATA to produce all its aircraft specially Dhruv. There is a huge backlog of orders both national and international for this helicopter. This will significantly reduce the burden off HAL's shoulders and speed up dhruv's production.