AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant
CH-149 Cormorant | |
---|---|
A Royal Canadian Air Force CH-149 Cormorant flying near Canadian Forces Base Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
Role | Medium |
Manufacturer | AgustaWestland |
First flight | 31 May 2000 |
Introduction | 2000 |
Status | Active service |
Primary user | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Produced | 1990s–present |
Number built | 15 |
Developed from | AgustaWestland AW101 |
The AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is the
Design and development
This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2012) |
In 1977, the British
Following the lead of the UK and Italy, the Canadian government placed a C$4.4 billion order in 1987 for 48 (later 42) EH101s to replace the
In 1998, the Canadian government announced that the CH-113s would now be replaced by a new scaled down search-and-rescue variant of the EH101, carrying the designation CH-149 Cormorant. Unlike the Petrel/Chimo contract, these 15 aircraft were to be built entirely in Europe. The first two aircraft arrived in Canada in September 2001 and entered service the following year.
When it became obvious that the Sea Kings were in need of immediate replacement, the EH101 was again part of a Canadian competition (Maritime Helicopter Project), against a variant of the Sikorsky H-92, for a total price tag of C$5 billion. The Sikorsky entry won the competition on July 23, 2004, with the first six delivered June 2015.[2]
Operational history
The first operational CH-149 flight occurred in 2002 when a Cormorant of 442 Squadron performed a
On October 25, 2006, a search and rescue crew from 442 Squadron in Comox, British Columbia, conducted a rescue from the side of a cliff in a box canyon with the CH-149 Cormorant which Canadian Forces Captain Sean Morris described as "pretty much the worst situation I've been in my entire life." Captain Morris and his colleagues received international recognition for the rescue as the first Canadian winner of the Prince Philip Helicopter Rescue Award issued by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators in the UK [3]
In August 2010, the Canadian Forces fleet of 14 CH-149 Cormorants passed 40,000 operational hours. The fleet had a higher flying rate than any other AW101 fleet and Cormorant 901, currently stationed at Canadian Forces Base Comox with 442 Squadron, has the highest number of airframe hours on any of the AW101s anywhere in the world. The worldwide fleet of 190 AW101 helicopters had achieved in excess of 200,000 flight hours in Canada, UK, Italy, Denmark, Portugal, and Japan.[4]
In June 2011, several former USN VH-71s, which are also based on the AW101, were purchased by Canada to be used as spare parts for the CH-149 fleet.[5] In 2013, Canada was reportedly studying whether up to four of the VH-71s could be certified for operational use.[6]
In 2017, the Liberal government announced funding for the mid-life upgrade of the fleet, to be led by 'Team Cormorant', a team composed of
In December 2022, the C$1.2 billion mid-life fleet upgrade was awarded to Leonardo U.K. Ltd.[12] This contract will upgrade the existing fleet to the Model 612 standard, as well as add three new aircraft "produced with predominantly new parts and some used parts in inventory from the VH-71 and current CH-149 fleets which include transmissions, landing gears and control surfaces."[12] A second, C$78 million contract with CAE Inc. was also announced for a domestic flight simulator to "address[...] the need for an improved training solution."[12]
Operators
Incidents and accidents
- Upon its entry to service, the AW101 experienced tail rotor hub cracking issues; including one British Merlin crashing on 30 March 2004 which was caused by this issue.[17] The CH-149 Cormorant has been grounded and been placed on limited flight status multiple times due to hub cracks; all 15 aircraft in Canadian inventory showed cracks of varying degrees shortly after entry to service in 2004.[18] A subsequent redesign was issued in 2005; out of the six aircraft which had the new hubs installed, three showed cracking one month later.[19] A new Articulated Tail Rotor (ATR) with elastomeric bearings has been adopted on the AW101, based on a proven design used on the AW139 medium-twin helicopter. The ATR is now standard issue on new AW101s and is offered for retrofit on existing fleets.
- On 13 July 2006, a CH-149 of 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron crashed into the waters of Chedabucto Bay off the coast of Canso, Nova Scotia while flying in heavy fog during a search and rescue exercise with a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel. Three Canadian Forces personnel were killed and four others were injured. Mechanical failure was formally ruled out as the cause of the crash.[20] On 11 March 2008, the Directorate of Flight Safety for the Canadian Forces announced that pilot error was the cause, and that Canadian Forces officials were aware of a lack of training received by pilots. Preliminary reports indicate that pilots were unaware of the proper use of the autopilot, leading to a controlled flight into terrain.[21]
- A Cormorant crashed on March 10, 2022 during a training exercise at
Specifications (CH-149)
General characteristics
- Crew: 5 (aircraft commander, first officer, flight engineer, 2 SAR technicians)
- Capacity:
- 15 seated troops; or
- 20 standing troops; or
- 2 stretchers with medics
- Length: 22.81 m (74 ft 10 in)
- Height: 6.65 m (21 ft 10 in)
- Empty weight: 10,500 kg (23,149 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 14,600 kg (32,187 lb)
- Powerplant: 3 × General Electric T700/T6A1[23]turboshaft, 1,600 kW (2,100 hp) each
- Main rotor diameter: 18.59 m (61 ft 0 in)
- Main rotor area: 278.0 m2 (2,992 sq ft)
Performance
- Never exceed speed: 280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn)
- Range: 1,389 km (863 mi, 750 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 3,000 m (10,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 10.2 m/s (2,010 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 53.8 kg/m2 (11.0 lb/sq ft)
- Power/mass: 0.459 kW/kg (0.279 shp/lb)
See also
Related development
- AgustaWestland AW101
- VH-71 Kestrel
- Bell CH-146 Griffon
- Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- NHI NH90
- Sikorsky S-92 / Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone
Related lists
- List of helicopters
- List of active Canadian military aircraft
References
- ^ "Canada Settles Claim On Canceled Helicopters". New York Times. New York City. 24 January 1996. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- ^ "CH-148 Cyclones delivered to Halifax airbase". cbc.ca. 19 June 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
- ^ "Hair-Raising Rescue Earns Cormorant Crew Prestigious International Award". Archived from the original on 6 December 2010.
- ^ "Canadian Forces' Cormorants pass 40,000 Operating Hours | ca.agustawestland.com". 23 September 2015. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ Pugliese, David (16 June 2011). "Obama's choppers purchased for parts for Cormorants". Victoria Times Colonist. Archived from the original on 30 June 2011.
- ^ "Barack Obama's discarded helicopters could fly in Canada's air force". Toronto Star. 5 May 2013. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
- ^ "Index of /". Teamcormorant.com. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ "Leonardo and IMP to modernise RCAF's CH-149 Cormorant SAR helicopter fleet - Airforce Technology". 30 May 2017. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ "Cormorant, Griffon upgrade projects get new lift - Skies Mag". Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ Coyne, Todd (22 August 2019). "RCAF to buy new Cormorant helicopters, extend life of fleet to 2042". Vancouver Island.
- ^ "Modernization of RCAF search and rescue helicopters deemed unaffordable — project on hold for now".
- ^ a b c Defence, National (22 December 2022). "Minister Anand announces Cormorant Mid-Life Upgrade and Simulator Solution Contracts Award to ensure continued Search and Rescue capabilities". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
- ^ "World Air Forces 2013" (PDF). Flightglobal Insight. 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 December 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
- ^ "103 Search and Rescue (SAR) Squadron". rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
- ^ "413 Transport and Rescue Squadron". rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 22 May 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
- ^ "442 Transport and Rescue Squadron (TRS)". rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
- ^ "Flying restrictions after crash". BBC News. 6 April 2004. Archived from the original on 23 July 2004. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
- ^ "CH-149 Cormorant limited to SAR operations and test flights only". Archived from the original on 17 June 2006. Retrieved 7 August 2007.
- ^ Canada Strives To Fix Cormorant’s Tail Cracks. DefenseNews.com, 2 June 2006.
- ^ "CTV News - Top Stories - Breaking News - Top News Headlines". ctv.ca. Retrieved 22 September 2015.[dead link]
- ^ "Inadequate training behind Cormorant crash | CTV News". 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Gander airport closed after Cormorant helicopter crash". CBC News. 10 March 2022.
- ^ "CH-149 Cormorant | Aircraft | Royal Canadian Air Force". 10 April 2013. Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.