America’s Giant New Helicopter Just Took Off

CH-53K is a monster machine - photo Sikorsky

October 27, 2015 by David Axe - warisboring.com

The first prototype of the CH-53K transport helicopter that Sikorsky is building for the U.S. Marine Corps took off on its debut flight at the company’s facility in Florida on Oct. 27. Sikorsky is building 200 CH-53Ks at a total cost of up to $23 billion to replace the Marines’ depleted force of around 150 CH-53E transports, which do the heavy aerial lifting for the Marines’ combat battalions. The triple-engine, seven-blade CH-53K will be, by far, the West’s most powerful helicopter, able to haul 18 tons of external cargo 110 miles — twice as much as the CH-53E can carry.

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