- Yes
- No
Sikorsky AUH/H-76 ‘Eagle’’
Turning an oil tycoon’s private helicopter into an Attack Chopper
OVERVIEW
Disclaimer: Though this is nicknamed as the ‘Eagle’, Sikorsky has not actually named either the AUH-76 or H-76 version but was instead a nickname from the press. This proposal is also intended to be part of a Philippine subtree as the Philippines is the only operator of this vehicle.
The Sikorsky S-76 Spirit first flew in March 3, 1977 which was born out of the increasing popularity of the Agusta A109, Bell 222, and Aerospatiale SA-330 which were all made from military utility helicopters. This became such a hit in the civilian market that its production affected the production line for the UH-60 Blackhawk - which is where the S-76 is based from.
In 1978, the US Navy asked Sikorsky to join its Light Airborne Multipurpose System with which Sikorsky submitted along with the S-70B design was a militarized version of the S-76, which became the AUH-76 or H-76 ‘Eagle’. The US Navy however went to award the S-70B design stating that the S-76 was way too small as the Navy it wouldve hoped.
15th Strike Wing that destroyed the Hueys that were about to strike the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution
Stuck with a militarized chopper that was a civilized version of their military utility helicopter, Sikorsky tried to see if they can sell the chopper to export markets targeting specifically for counter-guerilla operations and they found a customer in 1983 with the Philippines buying 12 AUH-76 to form the 15th ‘Firebirds’ Strike Wing - and this remains the only armed variant ever sold.
Both Spain & Thailand bought H-76s but these were unarmed and were used for SAR & liaison duties instead (so theyre usually listed as S-76 in other sources). Sikorsky also offered New Zealand with an ASW version equipped with Sea Skua ASMs but no offer was made.
SPECIFICATIONS
Basically the AUH-76 and the H-76 are different designations in other sources but are both built in the same chassis (In Sikorsky’s own brochure, both are referred as just AUH-76). The difference being, the AUH-76 being the base version, then the H-76 being the upgraded version with a better engine and mast-mounted FLIR.
| Characteristics | Details |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 4672 kg full load |
| Length | 13.2 m |
| Height | 4.42 m (to rotor) |
| Propulsion | [AUH-76] - 2 x Allison 250-C30S turboshaft, rated at 509kW each |
| [H-76] - 2x Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) PT6B-36 turboshaft, rated at 716 kW each. | |
| Speed | 270 kmh |
| Range | 1,000 nmi (1,900 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Armament | Details |
|---|---|
| Multipurpose Pylon System | 2x - 4x Total Hardpoints |
| Machine gun or cannon pods | |
| 50mm / 70mm Unguided rocket pods | |
| Antitank rocket launchers for TOW or Hellfire | |
| Light antiship missiles such as the Sea Skua [proposed for the H-76N] | |
| Light anti-aircraft missiles such as the Stinger | |
| Electronics | Hughes Mast-Mounted Sight or M65 TOW stabilized roof-mounted sight |
| Integrated Armament Management System |
PHOTOS
Spoiler
SOURCES
https://www.airvectors.net/avs76.html
http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/sik_s-76.php
https://www.scramble.nl/planning/orbats/philippines/philippine-air-force-history