The FAA has approved the type certificate for Sikorsky’s long-anticipated S-76D, opening the floodgates to a nearly half-billion-dollar order backlog from customers who have waited patiently through three years of program delays.
The FAA signed the S-76D type certificate on Oct. 12, capping an intensive flight test program that originally called for certification of the helicopter in late 2009. With technical issues resolved and regulatory hurdles met, Sikorsky now plans to begin deliveries of its newest model later this quarter.
