Photo courtesy of Rogerson Kratos
Rogerson Kratos’ Sikorsky UH-60A with a modernized cockpit recently completed a 50-hour flight evaluation, the company said. The aircraft can now move to the next phase of integration and testing.
During the evaluation, the aircraft was flown by nearly 10 former U.S. Army and Sikorsky Black Hawk test pilots. The pilots were analyzing avionics performance, aircraft integration, human factors, and radio and navigation capabilities.
“This multi state group including certification authorities, aircraft installers and a very talented supplier base, together with our in-house Black Hawk team, have flawlessly executed the best initial flight tests I’ve been part of in my thirty year career,” said Rogerson Kratos CEO Michael Rogerson.
The company has already submitted an FAA application to increase the flight range to include southeastern U.S. region, where it would visit industry events in Alabama and Florida.
Both the UH-60A and -L models are eligible for the avionics upgrade. Rogerson Kratos said benefits to the new cockpit include improved safety, enhanced situational awareness, common training and interoperability with -M models, and lower lifecycle costs with improved aircraft availability.