Sikorsky Aims for Autonomous Black Hawk

Sikorsky Aircraft aims to fly a Black Hawk capable of unmanned flight by 2011. Sikorsky President Jeff Pino said he’s set up a company-funded research program to achieve that goal. It will build on fly-by-wire development efforts the company has under way for the X-2 Technology Demonstrator, Canadian Maritime Helicopter (based on the S-92), and an upgrade of the U.S. Army’s new UH-60M program. The effort is aimed at relieving pilots of flying “dull and dirty” missions, he said, and focusing on missions that require human skills and interaction. “You don’t need a new air vehicle to do that,” he said. For related news