Design of the S-67 incorporated a conventional large-diameter five-bladed main rotor assembly tied to a conventional five-bladed tail rotor facing portside. Power was derived from 2 x General Electric T58-GE-5 turboshaft engines, each delivering 1,500 shaft horsepower, supplying the aircraft with a top speed of 193 miles per hour, 220 mile range and a 20,000 foot service ceiling. The two pilots were seated in tandem along a slim-profile fuselage well-forward in the design. Along the sides of the fuselage were sponsons which housed the retractable main undercarriage legs (the rear tail wheel did not retract). Short wings were fitted at the sponson sides and these showcased trailing edge speed brakes which would aid in agility, allowing for quick turning and rapid slowing down. Internally, the cockpit was modernized with a large moving map display, night vision as standard (added later in the program) and advanced attack functionality. All told, the S-67 would have been cleared to fire the then-standard TOW wire-guided anti-tank missile across four underwing hardpoints (wingtips would have been reserved for carrying AIM-9 Sidewinder short-ranged air-to-air missiles for self-defense). The weapons array could be made more balanced through the integration of 70mm rocket pods. Up to 16 x TOW missiles could be carried in packs of four launchers each across the four provided underwing stations. Standard armament included a 30mm cannon housed in the advanced Tactical Armament Turret (TAT-140). The passenger crew compartment was buried within the lower main portion of the fuselage and insulated/soundproofed from the elements and engine noise.
The Sikorsky S-67 continued to be showcased through marketing endeavors for a short time. It managed to set world speed records in late December of 1970 and, in 1974, the US Army requested a ducted tail fan unit to be tested in the design. This provided the Blackhawk with a top speed of 230mph when evaluated though the helicopter was returned to its former form thereafter. The Blackhawk's tenure in the air ended poorly - and tragically - however when, during an acrobatic aerial presentation at the 1974 Farnborough Air Show, the sole S-67 prototype crashed into the ground. Pilot Stu Craig was killed on impact while pilot Kurt Cannon died nine days later. This signified an inglorious end to the promising S-67 design.
The Blackhawk name emerged once again after the US Army adoption of the Sikorsky S-70 design as the UH-60 "Black Hawk" of 1979.
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