Building helicopters

Aircraft manufacturers considered several factors when building military helicopters, such as the Black Hawk. The Black Hawk is powered by two GE T700 turboshaft engines. The four-blade medium lift aircraft has been the main helicopter of the US military after entering service. The helicopter can carry either 11 troops and their equipment or a cargo of over a ton and has seen service in conflicts around the globe starting with the US invasion of Grenada in 1983. The aircraft has been manufactured by US company Sikorsky at its facility in Stratford, Connecticut from 1976. The company remains one of the leading helicopter manufacturers, producing such models as the UH-60 Black Hawk and SH-60 Seahawk. It has carried out an extensive value stream mapping operation to highlight which parts to keep in-house and which include all safety-critical parts.