Rotorcraft
Carson switches blades to give S-61 more moxie
Carson Helicopters of Perkasie, Pa., has been granted FAA certification for new main rotor blades for the Sikorsky S-61.

Carson Helicopters of Perkasie, Pa., has been granted FAA certification for new main rotor blades for the Sikorsky S-61. The design incorporates two airfoils and 12 degrees of twist, giving the venerable Sikorsky workhorse 2,000 pounds more lift in a hover and adding 15 knots to the cruise speed compared with the standard metal blades at the same power settings. Carson has signed a contract with NASA for exclusive use of the airfoils.

In fact, Carson is so confident in the pent-up demand for the blades from both civil and military users of the S-61 that it has already contracted with Composite Structures of Monrovia, Calif., for an initial batch of 100 blades.

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