An avionics retrofit for Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters is being proposed as part of a new partnership between the multinational Cobham Group and Carson Helicopters of the U.S. Cobham has provided avionics to most aerospace majors, while Carson has specialized in airframe modifications to enhance the performance of S-61 helicopters.

Cobham Commercial Systems will provide large-format synthetic vision flight displays, together with new flight management, communications and navigation equipment. Cobham’s primary flight display is the only synthetic system certified for IFR helicopter operations, the company claims. Cobham also says that its new Helicopter Stability Augmentation System (HeliSAS) “brings added safety within the reach of operators for whom previous systems were too expensive and heavy.”

Carson Helicopters of Perkasie, Pa., holds more than 20 Supplemental Type Certificates for the S-61. The company has fitted composite main and tail rotors and upgraded engines and transmissions, in addition to fuselage stretching and shortening. It previously fitted the Sagem glass cockpit to the type. Carson also has a partnership with Sikorsky Aircraft to purchase and modernize S-61 helicopters to a new S-61T standard for hot-and-high operations by the U.S. State Department.

 The new avionics suite will initially be certified on the S-61, followed by the S-76 and the UH-60/H-3 series.