Aircraft
Sikorsky CH-53K Super Stallion Being Put Through Its Paces before First Flight
Operational service of the mostly composite helicopter, which has been dubbed the “King Stallion,” is expected in 2019.
The CH-53K “King Stallion,” one of the first all-digitally designed helicopters, was assembled inside a 3-D virtual reality lab at Sikorsky’s headquarters before any metal was cut or composites were laid out.
The CH-53K “King Stallion,” one of the first all-digitally designed helicopters, was assembled inside a 3-D virtual reality lab at Sikorsky’s headquarters before any metal was cut or composites were laid out.

Powered ground tests of the Sikorsky CH-53K, the U.S. Marine Corps’ future heavy-lift helicopter, are now well under way at the company’s West Palm Beach, Florida facility in the run-up to first flight later this year. The first ground-test vehicle (GTV1) started systems testing in late April, about a week before the first flying article was rolled out on May 5. Operational service of the mostly composite helicopter, which has been dubbed the “King Stallion,” is expected in 2019.