Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed on all the latest news at Erickson!SIGN UP × ELVIS (THE HELICOPTER) IS CHEATING DEATH BY BECOMING A DRONE Erickson In The News Erickson OEM Capabilities Research and Development By Kelsey Atherton | March 17, 2021 The S-64 Air Crane is a former firefighting helicopter that’s being converted for autonomous operations. The makers of an old workhorse helicopter named Elvis are converting their venerable flying machine into an autonomous robot. Aircraft maker Erickson and helicopter giant Sikorsky are working together to retrofit the cargo helicopter into a flying robot, one that could both fight forest fires and resupply military missions, all without risking the life of an onboard pilot. Elvis is an S-64 Air Crane, the commercial adaption of a military cargo helicopter that first flew in the 1960s. In commercial service, these helicopters found a life hauling logs, in an approach to forestry billed as minimally invasive logging. READ THE FULL ARTICLE From Popular Science POST NAVIGATION Previous Post Next Post SHARE THIS facebook icon facebook linkedin icon linkedin twitter icon twitter email LET’S GET YOUR JOB DONE RIGHT. CALL (503) 505-5800 CONNECT WITH AN EXPERT Tested and Trusted® 5550 S Macadam Avenue, Suite 200 Portland, Oregon 97239 U.S.A. (503) 505-5800 Back to top RESOURCES Case Studies Our Fleet Erickson Edge Blog AVIATION SERVICES Defense & National Security Civil Aviation Services Aerosystems: Manufacturing & MRO COMPANY Employee Store Employee Portal Employee Travel Investor Relations Careers © 2021 Erickson Incorporated. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy / Web Design by Sayenko Design facebook icon linkedin icon twitter icon youtube icon