Top Ten Helicopters

No. 2: Uh-60 Black Hawk
Manufacturer: Sikorsky Aircraft
Type: Multirole Medium Helicopter
Powerplant: Two General Electric T700-GE-701c Turboshafts
Principal Armament: Two 7.62-mm Six-Barrel Miniguns, 16 Hellfire Anti-Tank Missiles
Carrying Capacity: 11 Troops or 8,000-pound Cargo
Maximum Cruising Speed: 160 mph

Nicknamed the Night Stalker, the Blackhawk is an evolutionary airframe. With its large cabin it can fulfill a number of mission sets, including Medevac, reconnaissance, command and control, and resupply. It can also take 11 fully armed troops into battle and has the capability to carry a formidable payload of missiles, rockets, cannons and electronic countermeasures.

Of course no helicopter that goes into combat is indestructible - on Oct. 3,1993, two Night Stalkers were shot down over Mogadishu, Somalia, and the phrase "Black Hawk Down" passed into legend. As tragic as that incident was, the Blackhawk is a gritty survivor. Besides having protective armor that can withstand hits from 23-mm shells, it has an array of cutting-edge safety features

Helicopter Puzzles