I was trained as an aircraft armament repairman on the Huey Cobra (35J20). If they would have used the space provided to carry troops to hold a bigger weapons cache then the Blackhawk would have been the better aircraft.
A big salute to the pilots of the Cobra. She was an awesome bird.

I have always been suspicious of "do it all" machinery, because specialties often are best accomplished by specialist. Who desires a fighter plane that can also haul freight? Who wants a spaceship that can serve as a submarine? My personal view is that the AH-56 Cheyenne would have been a better Attack Helicopter. The Blackhawk here (S-67) might have made a better "Freighter"; but to what purpose? If a fighter plane finds itself in a "dog fight", he can drop external fuel tanks to improve his envelope for the pressing needs of the moment. Why put troops on board with their combat load, if you have to limit weapons load to haul the troops; If you expect trouble up ahead?

Long shot, does anyone know where I can obtain a DVD of a 1980s doco called "The Chopper"? I have no idea who produced it, exact year, or who the English-sounding narrator is. It includes interviews with Hanna Reitsch and Bart Kelley (coworker of Arthur Young at Bell), and other techs and pilots, as well as footage of the prototype NOTAR, Apache, Sikorsky ABC and the XV-15 as well as the S-67.

Got to see this beautiful machine perform at a demo at Ft. Hood, Texas around 73-74 and it was superb. I was an AH-1G Cobra pilot in the cav. We all(pilots) thought it was great, but I recall that many Army brass thought it was way too big at the time. Turns out to be no bigger than the Apache I don't think. The demo was flown by (I think) a retired Marine LTC named Kurt Cannon, who was a Sikorsky test pilot, and included loops, rolls, split-S, and the like and was very impressive. I saw a short film some years later of the crash at Farnborough, and believe the pilot pulled a split-S with insufficient altitude during his demo, and hit the ground attempting the recovery. We lost a fine man and a fine machine on that day. I've always wondered what might have come about if it hadn't crashed.

The S-67 Blackhawk was certified to do loops, rolls and split S's. It was doing a Split S at the Farnbourgh Airshow when it crashed

I flew it! Just a demo flight,front seat, for 20 minutes or so. I was at HMX-1 ("Marine One", presidential squadron) 1969-1973. I had quite a bit of time flying UH-1E gunships (pre Cobra days)in VietNam. Sikorsky flew it to Quantico to show it off to the Marine Corps. I remember it was smooth and quiet unlike the Huey. Did a few simulated gun runs and had to be told not to add collective pulling out as the rotor did not tend to speed up as the Huey did. Got a patch for my flight jacket and a tie tack.

I guess I should've said it looks like a skinny version of the Hind. Which turned out to be a very effective helicopter. At least until the mujahideen got lots of Stinger SAMs to play with.

Maybe it's just me but it looks like the Russians thought this was too good an idea to waste. It sure resembles the Mi-24 Hind to me. I think I read that this blackhawk would've had the ability to carry 8 troops and it could do rolls. Hmmm, just like the Hind.

It is only good if nuclear weapsons are not used. :)

HAIL LUCIFER, FUCK DAYTON AND HARVARD

Correction to previous comment - it was doing rolls - not loops. One of the few that could perform either feat to this day.

This aircraft was on its way to Israel where the IAF was going to use it as a prototype aircaft. It also had a small amount of room in its fuselage like the Hind for some troops. Unfortunately it crashed in the Farnborough Air Show while doing loops. Pilot error.

In 1971 (+), I was an MP at FT. Knox, KTY. As part of an armored and Mech. Inf. –M-113s exercise, something similar to this helicopter flew in; we were told initially that it was not part of the problem.
But that change some minutes later and we were told to consider it ‘hostile’ and to evade it. It had disappeared behind a tree line, but then popped up to altitude and attacked me like a fast shark. I promptly ran my PC into a tree-stump and knocked myself out!

I still think it was -is- the most handsome and versatile twirly-popper I have ever seen.

It also looks a lot like what the AH-X wanted to be when it grew up. Take the same basic design and add some sloping radar-deflecting surfaces and look what you have.

A video featuring the S-67: http: / /www.youtube.com /watch?v=iniXBYFLybs< /a>

Another what if aircraft?
this looked and performed well and should have been properly developed

frer