Black Hawk: The Story of a World Class Helicopter. This item is unavailable.Black Hawk: The Story of a World Class Helicopter

This story tells, in clear detail, how Sikorsky Aircraft developed, tested, modified, and produced one of the most successful helicopters in the world. Written by the man considered to be the father of the Black Hawk, Ray Leoni explains how Sikorsky used innovative designs with the right advanced technologies to meet the Army's stringent specifications for aircraft performance, survivability and reliability. With its creative Black Hawk design, Sikorsky won an uphill, highly-contested battle for one of the world's largest helicopter programs which reestablished the company as a leader in the world community of helicopter producers.Black Hawk variants have been put in service by every branch of the US Military and by over 24 countries around the world accumulating over 5 million flight hours. Through its combat service in the campaigns of Granada, Panama, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, the Black Hawk has demonstrated unprecedented mission versatility and survivability and proven itself to be an outstanding war-fighting machine that will serve for a half century or longer. In the best tradition and vision of Igor Sikorsky, Black Hawks are performing world-wide rescue and humanitarian

Ray Leoni's professional career was with Sikorsky Aircraft from college graduation, through 41 years of service and three years of advance design consulting work, until his retirement. He started as a design engineer of helicopter transmission and rotor systems and later became a designer participating in new V/STOL concepts and helicopter designs. He conducted concept formulation studies for the Army UTTAS program and led the team whose design was proposed to the Army for what later became the BLACK HAWK helicopter. After contract award to Sikorsky for the BLACK HAWK prototype program, Mr. Leoni was appointed Program Engineering Manager responsible for all BLACK HAWK engineering design and test activities. He was awarded the design patent for BLACK HAWK as well as nine other patents. He also served as Program Manager through the later stages of development until Sikorsky won the BLACK HAWK production contract. Mr. Leoni was appointed Vice President for Research and Engineering shortly after his BLACK HAWK assignments and later became Senior Vice President, Engineering and Advanced Programs. Mr. Leoni received his Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from Brown University and Master of Engineering degree from Yale University. A long time member of the American Helicopter Society he received