Thursday, June 14

Looks like Kittyhawk team have a 35th scale Pave Hawk in their sights...

We just got some pictures of Kittyhawk's new proposal for the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter in  1/35th scale that is sure to come our way soon. See a little of the info we have and the real thing while we think about what other variants of this helo that could be coming down the pipeline...


New CAD's from Kittyhawk

Sikorsky HH-60G "Pave Hawk"
From Kittyhawk Models
Kit No# KH50005
1/35th scale
Release TBA
Price TBA
So it seems that Kitthawk is taking their interest in helicopters more seriously. The addition of people like Floyd Werner from Werner's wings on board allows them to have the intricate knowledge of helicopters that other model companies could only wish for. Our man Andy recently built Kittyhawk's 48th scale UH-1D, and we are hearing that that kit as well might be slated for a35th scale release, however, the exciting news today is that the HH-60 Pave Hawk is on the way. We have some CAD drawings to look at, but first, we thought we might look at the real thing...

The Sikorsky The HH-60G Pave Hawk
The HH-60G Pave Hawk is the U.S. Air Force’s primary combat search and rescue helicopter used by Air Force special tactics teams and pararescuemen. The HH-60G is also tasked to perform military operations other than war, including civil search and rescue, medical evacuation, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, security cooperation/aviation advisory, NASA space flight support, and rescue command and control.

Mission 
The primary mission of the HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter is to conduct day or night personnel recovery operations into hostile environments to recover isolated personnel during war. The HH-60G is also tasked to perform military operations other than war, including civil search and rescue, medical evacuation, disaster response, humanitarian assistance, security cooperation/aviation advisory, NASA space flight support, and rescue command and control. 

Features 
The Pave Hawk is a highly modified version of the Army Black Hawk helicopter which features an upgraded communications and navigation suite that includes integrated inertial navigation/global positioning/Doppler navigation systems, satellite communications, secure voice, and Have Quick communications. All HH-60Gs have an automatic flight control system, night vision goggles with lighting and forward-looking infrared system that greatly enhances night low-level operations. Additionally, Pave Hawks have colour weather radar and an engine/rotor blade anti-ice system that gives the HH-60G an adverse weather capability. 
Pave Hawk mission equipment includes a retractable in-flight refuelling probe, internal auxiliary fuel tanks, two crew-served 7.62mm or .50 calibre machine guns, and an 8,000-pound (3,600 kilograms) capacity cargo hook. To improve air transportability and shipboard operations, all HH-60Gs have folding rotor blades. 

Pave Hawk combat enhancements include a radar warning receiver, infrared jammer and a flare/chaff countermeasure dispensing system. 

HH-60G rescue equipment includes a hoist capable of lifting a 600-pound load (270 kilograms) from a hover height of 200 feet (60.7 meters), and a personnel locating system that is compatible with the PRC-112 survival radio and provides range and bearing information to a survivor's location. 

Pave Hawks are equipped with an over-the-horizon tactical data receiver that is capable of receiving near real-time mission update information. 

In service:
Pave Hawks have a long history of use in contingencies, starting in Operation Just Cause. During Operation Desert Storm they provided combat search and rescue coverage for coalition forces in western Iraq, coastal Kuwait, the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia. They also provided emergency evacuation coverage for U.S. Navy SEAL teams penetrating the Kuwaiti coast before the invasion. 
During Operation Allied Force, Pave Hawks provided continuous combat search and rescue coverage for NATO air forces, and successfully recovered two Air Force pilots who were isolated behind enemy lines. 
In the aircraft's humanitarian relief missions, three Pave Hawks deployed in March 2000 to Mozambique, Africa, to support international flood relief operations. The HH-60s flew 240 missions in 17 days and delivered more than 160 tons of humanitarian relief supplies. 

After Hurricane Katrina in September 2005, more than 20 active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard Pave Hawks were deployed to Jackson, Miss., in support of recovery operations in New Orleans and surrounding areas. Pave Hawk crews flew 24-hour operations for nearly a month, saving more than 4,300 Americans from the post-hurricane devastation. Within 24 hours of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, HH-60Gs deployed to support Operation Tomodachi providing search and rescue capability to the disaster relieve

Today, Pave Hawks continue to deploy in support of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. HH-60 crews have aided hundreds of American, coalition, and foreign-national personnel by conducting personnel recovery and medical evacuations or MEDEVAC missions under low visibility, low illumination conditions at all altitudes.
HH-60G Characteristics 
Contractor: United Technologies/Sikorsky Aircraft Company 
Power Plant: Two General Electric T700-GE-700 or T700-GE-701C engines 
Thrust: 1,560-1,940 shaft horsepower, each engine 
Rotor Diameter: 53 feet, 7 inches (14.1 meters) 
Length: 64 feet, 8 inches (17.1 meters) 
Height: 16 feet, 8 inches (4.4 meters) 
Weight: 22,000 pounds (9,900 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 22,000 pounds (9,900 kilograms) 
Fuel Capacity: 4,500 pounds (2,041 kilograms)
Payload: depends upon mission
Speed: 184 mph (159 knots) 
Range: 504 nautical miles 
Ceiling: 14,000 feet (4,267 meters)
Armament: Two 7.62mm or .50 caliber machineguns 
Crew: Two pilots, one flight engineer and one gunner 
Unit Cost: $40.1 million (FY11 Dollars) 
Initial operating capability: 1982 
Inventory: Active force, 67; ANG, 17; Reserve, 15
What we know about the model:
OK so we do know that the Kittyhawk team has Floyd Werner on board, it's in 35th scale. Of course, all of the notable features of the HH-60G are included, with the in-flight refuelling probe,   opening crew and cab doors either side to reveal what looks to be a full interior of the PAve Hawk in good detail.
The four blade rotors we are not sure of yet - maybe we could hope for a folded option? what we do know is that we get a fully detailed engine suite and the vented engine exhausts that enable the Pave Hawk to operate so covertly. 
You can see in this reveal of the insides of the Pave Hawk the large internal fuel tanks with seating in front of it, the Browning .50cal machine guns, sliding and opening crew doors
The thing we are also a little hopeful of is the other variants of the HH-60 family that this kit could well be developed into ( not saying that it will - just that it COULD) - these others in the family would only take slight modifications or maybe some resin details down the road to be developed into the sisters of the Pave Hawk:
HH-60A: Prototype for the HH-60D rescue helicopter. A modified UH-60A primarily designed for combat search and rescue. It is equipped with a rescue hoist with a 200 ft (60.96 m) cable that has a 600 lb (270 kg) lift capability, and a retractable in-flight refuelling probe.
HH-60D Night Hawk: Prototype of combat rescue variant for the US Air Force.
HH-60E: Proposed search and rescue variant for the US Air Force.
HH-60G Pave Hawk: Search and rescue helicopter for the US Air Force upgraded from UH-60A Credible Hawk.
MH-60G Pave Hawk: Special Operations, search and rescue model for the US Air Force. Equipped with long-range fuel tanks, air-to-air refuelling capability, FLIR, improved radar. Powered by T-700-GE-700/701 engines.
Maplehawk: Proposed search and rescue version for the Canadian Forces to replace ageing CH-113 Labradors. The CF opted for the CH-149 Cormorant instead.
HH-60P Pave Hawk: Combat Search and Rescue variant of UH-60P, in service with Republic of Korea Air Force. The variant includes External Tank System and FLIR for night operations.
HH-60W: Combat rescue helicopter variant of the UH-60M for the U.S. Air Force to replace the HH-60G.

Well, the mind boggles! we will stop there and let you think about it  - it looks like a good proposition to us - proof will be in the making - and we will try and get one made up for you to show you the kit's worth when it is released next year.

Find out more about Kittyhawk's models on their website...