The S 92 was originally envisioned as a growth version of the UH 60 Blackhawk for the commercial market. And while its ancestry is clearly UH 60 derived, the S 92 as it stands now is a new design. The market objective for this helicopter is geared to provide a commercial and military passenger and cargo transport that can carry up to 22 passengers or 3 LD3 standard containers or an external payload of up to 10,000 pounds.
Sikorsky has a number of risk sharing partners on this program. These include Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7.5 %), Jingdezhen Helicopter Corp of China (2 %), AIDC of Taiwan (6.5 %), Embraer (4 %) and Gamesa of Spain (7 %). Each of these partners has the responsibility for a specific part of the design and construction of parts of the helicopter.
The S 92 is a heavy twin-engine turbine helicopter that uses a four-bladed fully articulated main rotor head with elastomeric bearings and four composite blades. The S 92 uses two General Electric CT7-8 engines. A four-bladed tail rotor provides directional control. The fuselage provides two compartments. About 40% of the fuselage is made of composites and the rest is made of aluminum alloys. The pilot compartment seats two and is separated from the passenger cabin. The passenger cabin seats 17 to 22 passengers in a high-density airline style interior with 3 abreast seating. Alternatively, the interior can be equipped with a cargo floor, a VIP interior or an EMS interior.
The S 92 program was announced in 1992 and full-scale development was launched in 1995. First flight of the prototype occurred in 1998 and certification to the standards of FAR 29 and JAR 29 (including IFR and Category A certification) was obtained in 2002. The helicopter is currently in production.