Sea Hawk transport capacity

Phyllo

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OK, so my contemporary novel has this amazing nimitz-class aircraft carrier that I invented to carry out this non-combatant evacuation operation off a remote island (how cool, huh?).

I have 50 civilians and about the same number of naval personnel on this island, plus flight crews. I've guessed six Sea Hawks might carry them all, but it's just a guess of convenience.

I can't seem to find out what a realistic carrying capacity is for a Sea Hawk on a mission like this. I realize there are different Sea Hawks (SH-60, HH-60, etc) that the carrier is likely to have. I don't care which I use, so long as it's reasonably realistic (in other words, if the max. capacity is a dozen passengers, then I'd have to have more helicopters or have existing ones ferry back and forth).

Anybody know?
 

DoomBunny

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SH-60_Seahawk

Wikipedia says 5 passengers, or 11 in the S model.

When you say you've invented a Nimitz class carrier, you're aware there's already a class called the Nimitz? Maybe I just misread your statement. It's an interesting idea but my first impression is that a Nimitz supercarrier is one hell of a big military commitment to evacuate a hundred or so people.
 

Stanmiller

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The A/C is the same airframe as the UH-60 Black Hawk. The current Black Hawk utility version (UH-60L and M) can carry 4 crew and 12 to 14 bodies, depending on gear/weapons/ammo loadouts on said bodies.

So for one hundred people, at least eight sorties would be needed.

--Stan
 

Phyllo

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So basically a dozen passengers.

DoomBunny, I should have written more clearly because I meant that I "imagined" a non-existent carrier of the nimitz-class (I'd read that they stopped making them a couple of years ago, changing over to a different carrier class).

Thank you both very much, that's really helpful.
 

Noah Body

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You'll almost never get 11 folks in an SH-60, and if you do, you'll have to reduce the fuel load so the aircraft can actually fly and maintain single-engine operations if they lose one powerplant. The Navy has so much stuff hanging on those aircraft that they're terribly heavy, so much so that they can't be resourced for VERTREP ops, which was one of the original functions they were purchased for. (This inability led to the venerable CH-46 being extended well past program life.)

I do believe the squids have deployed the HH-60, which is essentially the same as the Army's UH-60L, with uprated T701 engines and a beefier transmission. It likely can't carry the same loads either internally or externally, as Navy helicopters have substantially more shielding to prevent their electronics from being fried by things such as a warship's radar, and that stuff adds weight. When we were guests of the Navy and flying off frigates in the late 1980s putting the zap on Iranians harassing commercial shipping in the Straits of Hormuz, we couldn't even bring our usual weapon loadout -- we had to get rockets from the USMC, because the Navy was afraid ours might cook off.

Sorry, that was a total digression.

The only SH-60 I have personal experience with is the SH-60B, and I did not fly it, but it was used as a radar platform for our operations while we were bumbling through the straits. With three guys aboard and full fuel, it had legs that could be stretched for three hours, and then it had to RTB. Our Little Birds actually had more time in the air, and those aren't considered long-range aircraft.

Also keep in mind that air density and weather will restrict a helicopter's lifting capacity, speed, ability to transition and maintain a stable hover, and yes, range. Flying helicopters off ships looks real easy in the movies, but it's actually a fairly tough prospect.
 

Phyllo

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Thanks, Noah. I understood about half of what you wrote. Maybe. But it was all great, including the digression.
 

Noah Body

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I apologize, I was running on little sleep. :)

A CVG does have the assets to conduct this kind of mission, but a Marine Corps expeditionary force might be more applicable if it's a shot-fuse situation. They also have CH/MH-53s on their carriers, and those could carry everyone in one sortie.

If the time line is longer, you could get special operations aviation involved--the Army would use MH-47D/E Chinooks, the USAF would use MH-53Es. Both platforms can be refueled by drogue-equipped aircraft to increase their range.

Using SH-60s for this kind of operation you speak of is incredibly risking, and might break the support chain. You'd need a/c to make multiple trips, since I don't think the carrier group could deploy all airframes for the mission.