ICM 48361 1/48 Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk US Military Transport Helicopter

n 1976, Sikorsky won a competitive program to create a multi-role tactical transport helicopter, which later received the military designation UH-60 Black Hawk (the models series designation was Sikorsky S-70). Starting in 1979, the helicopter began entering service with the U.S. Army, with the UH-60A being the first military series variant. The helicopter is built in a classic single-rotor configuration with a four-blade rotor, the blades of which are capable of withstanding hits from 23 mm caliber rounds. The crew cabin and part of the floor are protected by Kevlar plates, and the helicopters hydraulic system is redundant, significantly enhancing its survivability on the battlefield.

Additionally, the onboard equipment includes a radar warning station, active infrared countermeasure system, and devices for dispensing thermal decoys. The troop compartment is designed to accommodate 10 fully-armed soldiers or 6 wounded on stretchers. The UH-60 helicopters have become the base for various aircraft models, including transport, special operations, electronic warfare, maritime multi-role, anti-submarine, medical, and others. Their design allows for transformation by altering the armament, transport compartment configuration, cabin equipment, etc.

The Black Hawk helicopter family continues to be in service with the armies of various countries, and it will remain a cornerstone of military aviation for many nations in the near future.

The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is a medium multi-role and infantry support helicopter of American production with a metal structure in a classic layout with a main rotor and a tail rotor on the beam. The drive of the UH-60 D version is provided by two General Electric T-700-700 engines with a capacity of 1560 HP each. The flight of the first prototype took place in 1974, and serial production, which started in 1974, is still ongoing. It is estimated that over 4,000 copies of this helicopter were built by 2017.

The Sikorsky UH-60 was created in response to a tender launched in 1972 by the US Army for a new transport helicopter to replace the UH-1 Huey machines. The new machine was supposed to have better performance, be cheaper to operate and be characterized by high survivability on the battlefield. All these criteria were met by the machine of the Sikorsky concern, with particular emphasis on the last of the above-mentioned elements. Many development versions of this very solid and successful helicopter were created in the course of serial production. The basic version was designated as UH-60A, which was used primarily for transport purposes. Later, the UH-60L version with more powerful engines was introduced, which increased the lifting capacity of the machine. A version of the S-70 International was also created, widely offered – often successfully – to foreign customers. It is worth adding that at present (2017) this version is produced in the plants in Mielec. Numerous specialized versions have also been created, such as the MH-60A, which is dedicated to American special forces. On the basis of the UH-60, the marine version, the SH-60 Seahawk, was also significantly changed. MH-60 helicopters actively participated in the intervention in Granada (1983), the operation in Mogadishu (1993), both wars in Iraq (1990-1991 and 2003), as well as in the operation in Afghanistan from 2001. They have also been exported to many countries, including Austria, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Israel, Japan and Turkey.

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