Foresight MX HUMS STC'd for Sikorsky UH-60A

GPMS has received a supplemental type certificate from the FAA for its Foresight MX health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) on the Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk in cooperation with PJ Helicopters of Red Bluff, California. PJ, which is the launch customer for the installation, operates 11 UH-60As as a contract provider for aerial firefighting services.

Adding Foresight MX to the UH-60 can give the aircraft this capability or replace existing capability with a package that is substantially lighter and less expensive, according to GPMS. While legacy HUMS equipment can weigh up to 100 pounds, Foresight MX has an installed weight of less than 17 pounds and is one-third of the cost, according to GPMS v-p of sales Todd Powers.

Powers noted that the U.S. Army estimates that the installation of HUMS on its UH-60As saved $215 million over six years. Installation of Foresight MX provides operators with a “next-generation, predictive HUMS, flight data monitoring, and optimized rotor track and balance solution,” according to Powers. He also noted that legacy HUMS equipment is often stripped off UH-60As before sale onto the civilian or foreign military markets “because of International Traffic In Arms Regulations, obsolescence, and weight concerns.”