The first production example of the UH-60A Black Hawk on an early test flight. Initially flown on 17 October 1978, the first UH-60A was formally handed over to the US Army on the 31st of the month but remained at Sikorsky for validation of performance data. It began a three-month period of icing tests in January, while the third aircraft went to Edwards AFB for performance guarantee testing. The second production Black Hawk is spending seven months in Panama for tropical tests and No 4 has begun an 11-month evaluation of reliability, availability and maintainability.

The first of the YUH-60A prototypes as originally flown

The same airframe modified to production configuration - note the raised main rotor, reduced fin area, re-located tailplane, new top fuselage fairing behind the rotor mast and other details.

Black Hawk is the name which the U.S. Army has adopted for its new Sikorsky UH-60A helicopter, winner of the UTTAS competition. Here the second YUH-60A Black Hawk, 21651 is seen over Palm Beach, Florida, with two of Sikorsky's S-76 civil helicopters. The S-76 has replaced the civil version of the Black Hawk in Sikorsky's near-term planning.

Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk

Three-view drawing of the Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk in its production form.

The mock-up of the Sikorsky SH-60B, adopted by the US Navy to fulfil its LAMPS-III requirement, was used late last summer for shipboard compatibility trials (on photo) on the frigate USS Oliver Hazard Perry and other ships.

The mock-up of the Sikorsky SH-60B, adopted by the US Navy to fulfil its LAMPS-III requirement.