MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON
TUESDAY. MAY 9. 1961
A 3
Use of Helicopter in Logging Industry Reviewed at Meeting Mere
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USE IN FOREST This is an artists conception of how the
Sikorsky S-64 helicopter could be used in fighting forest
fires. Fast action by this type machine could control forest
fires before they become major conflagrations. The use
ful payload of the S-64 is more than eight tons, which is
more than sufficient to satisfy most commcrical or tactical
requirements.
Sikorsky S-64 Designed as Lifting Unit
The Sikorsky S-64 All-Pur- of comparable size.
pose Transport helicopter is
a $1.75 million machine de
signed as a basic lifting unit.
" It was developed at the air
craft's plant in Stratford,
Conn., after recognition of
"the fact that the passenger
cabin is superfluous - dead
weight, and carried no useful
purpose when- the convention
al helicopter is used for carry
ing cargo or equipment.
The structural weight of the
aircraft ' is reduced by elim
inating a floor stressed for
cargo loads and a cabin, re
sulting in a heavier pay-load
than conventional helicopters
In the S-64, there is no
passenger cabin, and no struc
ture within 9V4 feet of the
ground, except the cockpit and
the landing gear. This permits
the helicopter to straddle
large loads, which can be
fastened directly to attach
ment eyes along the bottom
of the boom-like fuselage
when the helicopter is on the
ground.
Special purpose "pods" for
passengers or; other specific
mission work may be similar
ly attached. ,
The S-64 helicopter is read
ily adaptable to logging pur
poses, since it can fly into
position astride the load. It
can accept a rectangular load
weighing more than eight tons
of any reasonable length, 10
feet wide and 8 feet high
under the structure with ade
quate clearance.
Sikorsky officials note that
it is not necessary for the
helicopter to hover during the
time it is being loaded. Snug
gling the load close to the
fuselage also eliminates oscil
lations during flight, allowing
greater maneuvering freedom
close to the terrain.
Glenn Jackson, Medford,
who reviewed the Sikorsky
for Mom
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' in inimi i ii i
S-64 at a meeting of the Paci
fic Northwest section, Forest
Products Research Society
here last night, also reviewed
other advantage of the heli
copter, especially in relation
to logging.
Hoisting Winch
The S-64 is equipped with
a winch capable of hoisting or
lowering a load attached to
the cargo hook. It can pick
up or deposit loads in terrain
which would prohibit the heli
copter from landing or hover
ing sufficiently close to the
surface to enable use of an
ordinary fixed sling.
The technique of hoisting
the load may be used while
the helicopter is hovering as
high as 100 feet above the
ground, Jackson pointed out.
This is especially useful in
selective logging operations in
wilderness areas, inaccessible
areas, national parks and
other areas where aesthetic
value is of prime importance.
The 15,000-pound capacity
hoist is hydraulically power
ed. The winch is located about
in the center of the helicop
ter, and the fuselage attach
ment point is chosen to give
good aircraft handling qual
ities and load behavior. .
Fastened By On Man
The cargo hook may be
fastened to the load by one
man, and the load released
either automatically upon
touchdown or at the pilot's
discretion. The integral winch
and cargo hook arrangement
allows the pilot to hover the
helicopter above obstacles
and to raise or lower the load
as the istuation requires.
The pilot's cabin in the S
64 is a capsule suspended from
The use of helicopters in
the woods operation of the
forest industry is almost un
limited. A helicopter would be able
to remove overripe timber,
diseased trees, snags or other
select trees from areas inac
cessible to conventional log
ging equipment.
It could improve conserva
tion of forest soil by reducing
erosion on steep mountain
sides.
It could be used in fighting
forest fires, by transporting
men and heavy equipment to
sides which would take con
ventional equipment several
hours.
Uses of a powerful helicop
ter - the Sikorsky S-64 - were
reviewed by Glenn Jackson,
Medford, at a meeting of the
Pacific Northwest Section,
Forest Products Research So
ciety, here last night.
Plant Formulated ' -'
Plans are being formulated
to use the Sikorsky S-64 in
removing 167 overripe trees
in a mapped area of Oregon
Caves National monument.
Jackson has discussed the
proposal with Sen. Wayne
Morse, who recently outlined
the plan in the Senate. He
also has discussed the propos
al with forest service officials,
who have prepared an ap
praisal of logging by helicop
ter. The forest service has noted
that logging by Sikorsky S-64
helicopter "can be done at
costs essentially competitive
with conventional logging."
Comparative Costs
The service noted that con
ventional logging costs about
$35.47 per thousand board
feet at the mill. Helicopter
logging, with the department
of defense assuming depreci
ation on the machine, would
cost about $35.57 a thousand
based on 1,000 hours of use
annually.
However, if the helicopter
is used 1,500 hours annually,
the estimated operating cost
is reduced to $32.81 a thou
sand with the department of
defense assuming depreciation.
In its appraisal of helicop
ter logging, the forest service
made several assumptions.
Among them are
1. Merchantable timber is
available for logging in a tree
selection or partial cutting
method from an area where
it is unnecessary, uneconomic
cal or undesirable to develop
the road system that would
provide opportunity for con
ventional logging methods
2. The average timber stand
is assumed to be 25,000 board
feet per acre of sawlog and
peeler log material. Of this
stand, 40 per cent, or 10,000
board feet per acre, is avail
able for harvest in the first
cut.
3. Servicing the area by.
truck, if permitted, would
cost $4 per thousand based
on the need of one mile of
road costing $16,000 per mile
for each 160 acres.
4. If the log3ing area is
5,000 feet, about two miles
airline distance and 2,000 feet
above a log landing or the
nearest truck road, at least
five miles of truck haul would
be required to cover the dis
tance. 5. Cutting and bucking cost
for helicopter logging would
be essentially the same as for
the conventional logging.
2.000 Board Ft
6. The S-64 could haul an
average of 2,000 board feet
of logs per trip, and 12 round
trips per hour over the two-
mile route.
7. Cost of loading logs onto
trucks and of truck 'haul from
roadside landing would be the
same.
The forest service also not
ed that logging by helicopter
would be limited only when
snow became too deep . for
cutting, and could be almost
year-round operation. This
would eliminate cold-decking
and increase the average val
ue of the log in the winter.
'This higher value is be
cause the purchaser would not
have to go to the expense of
cold decking the logs for win
ter mill operation, the lower
truck haul rates that are avail
able during winter months
and the absence of deteriora'
tion in logs that normally
takes place in stored logs un
der even the best conditions,"
the forest service said.
Operating Cost '
The cost of the helicopter
based on annual use of 1,000
hours is $369.46 per hour for
operation and maintenance.
Depreciation cost of $249.90
per hour would be absorbed
by the department of defense
and not charged against the
logging industry, the service
noted.
However, if the deprecia
tion is charged to the logging
industry, the $35.57 per thou
sand board f e e t for 1,000
hours of helicopter use would
increase to $45.98 a thousand.
On the basis of 1,500 hours of
use, the cost would be $39.75
a thousand if the logging in
dustry assumed depreciation.
A preliminary agreement
has been reached, however,
between the department of de
fense, the forest service and
Sikorsky because the depart
ment of defense is interested
in the helicopter's use for tac
tical purposes.
Intangible Values
The forest service said there
are certain intangible values
in logging by helicopter.
Among these are:
1. Value of better conditions
for timber growth resulting
from helicopter selective log
ging leaving a partial growing
stock on ground.
2. Reforestation costs would
be avoided.
3. There also would be pre
mium value of better water
shed and aesthetic conditions.
"The landowner," the for
est service said, "could recog
nize and compensate for some
such values resulting from
helicopter logging by making
a reduction in the asked
stumpage price, if necessary
to do so, to secure this spe
cialized method."
The forest service noted
that its estimates may be In
error, but if its assumptions
are correct, logging with the
S-64 "can be done at coils
essentially competitive with,
conventional operations; pre
vided, depreciation of machine)
is not charged to the logging.'
HOTEL PRESIDENT
Portland -0IPD- Asa J. Am.
berg, Portland, was elected
president of the Oregon Hotel
Association here Saturday.
Counsel With ...
Mr. Insurance Fred Brennan
L. W I
3 out of 1 0 homeowners
have not Increased their
insurance in 5 yean. With,
higher replacement values
J and fires taking a bigger
toll, it's time to "update"
your coverages. Call
Fred R. Brennan, C.I.A.
MEDFORD INSURANCE
Agency
PHONE SP 3-7343
. 27 North Holly Street
"For me, the way of life in the West has always included Hermitage.
When
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the front of the long fuse
lage boom. It contains seats
for a pilot and co-pilot, dual
flight controls, instruments
and a rear-facing seat with
auxiliary flight controls for
use of the pilot during loading
and hoisting operations.
There are large transparent
panels in the rear of the
pilot's cabin to provide rear
ward visibility from the rear-
facing seat. This gives the
pilot a clear view of theh un
derside of the fuselage and
the hoist during loading mis
sions.
The S-64, a twin turbine
powered helicopter, was de
veloped from a prototype,
Sikorsky's S-60 flying crane.
The S-60 proved that a heli
copter built in the form of a
basic lifting device offered a
positive approach to mission
versatility.
A six-bladed main rotor u
driven by two turbine en
gines mounted just below and
forward of the main rotor
system. Inputs from the tur
bine engines are on each side
of the main gear box, which
has a rating of 5,400 horse
power for both engine inputs,
or 4.050 horsepower from each
input. Further development is
scheduled to raise the main
gear box rating to 6,000 horse
power.
Prototype Pod
Prototype pods for trans
porting passengers, mounting
special purpose military gear
and for conventional commer
cial uses were designed, de
veloped and tested. A large
variety of helicopter missions,
both military and commercial.
were successfully performed
with the S-60, thus leading to
the development of the S-64.
The S-64 has available to
it automatic stabilization
equipment, to provide pitch,
roll, yaw and altitude stabili
zation, which is especially
valuable during pick up and
deposit of loads. The ASE
when used by the pilot in a
rear-facing position, gives the
optimum In accurate tonlrol
and safety durlna the most
critical periods of cargo op
erations.
Sikorsky officials said that
with the development of the
S-fU came the first true all-
purpose transport, which, with
optimum economy and ellic
iency, can serve as passenger
transport, high density troop
carrier, flying crane, cargo
carrier or a military vehicle
whose tactical versatility cov
ers almost the entire range of
vertical takeoff and landing
requirements.
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