Sikorsky on Thursday unveiled its indigenously developed S-92 helicopter cabin in Hyderabad. The cabin was developed in collaboration with TATA Advances Systems Limited (TASL).
The facility also produces upto four cabins a month that are then shipped to the US for final assembly and delivery to international customers.
All future S-92 cabin productions will be indigenous and will cater to an international customer base which already includes Saudi Arabia, Canada, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
The S-92 is the same helicopter Sikorsky offered to US Navy’s Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program (VXX).
It’s most recent contracts include a contract with China's CITIC Offshore Helicopter Company (COHC) for two S-92 helicopters to be used for the offshore oil crew transportation mission. Sikorsky plans to deliver the new S-92 helicopters in December 2014 and March 2015.
Its military variant the H-92 Superhawk was selected by the Canadian Air Force Maritime Helicopter Programme (MHP) in 2004 to supply 28 helicopters. However, that contract has been severely delayed.
“So, far it (TASL) has delivered 50 cabins making about four units a month or one unit a week. It had an order backlog for two years as the S-92 helicopter and its variants are finding a use in rescue, medical evacuation, transport of VIPs, offshore oil and gas crews and others,” Shane Eddy. Senior Vice President, Operations, Sikorsky said.
In all, about 5,000 components manufactured at TARA Aerospace Systems Limited, a Tata facility, were used to make the cabin, he added.