Onboard Systems International, LLC, a leading provider of innovative helicopter cargo hook equipment, today announced that its replacement cargo hook kits for the Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk have been STC certified by the FAA. The new kits feature a dual solenoid design to eliminate the need for high-cost Cartridge Activated Devices (CADs) for back-up release functionality.

According to Karsten Lemmon, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Onboard Systems, “When the U.S. Army started releasing Black Hawks for sale to the civilian market in 2014, we anticipated that there would be interest in replacing the legacy cargo hook equipment, since it requires CADs for the backup release functionality. As more and more Black Hawks are retired from military service and reconfigured for civilian external load missions, we believe our replacement hook kits will prove very popular.”

Onboard’s TALON® MC Keeperless Cargo Hook Replacement Kits for the Black Hawk were designed to include all of the safety features operators have come to expect from Onboard products, including lower hook weight, a keeperless design to eliminate dynamic rollout potential, 2.5 times the rated load release capacity, and a dual-actuation release lever to help eliminate accidental releases caused by contact with foreign objects.

The newly certified TALON MC Keeperless Cargo Hook Replacement Kits are available with an Onboard Weighing System (P/N 200-438-00), or without (P/N 200-437-00). An Onboard Weighing System lets pilots instantly know the cargo weight on the hook, reducing the risk of overload airframe stress and helping them make more informed aircraft loading decisions. To ensure maximum load security, Onboard’s Surefire® Technology is also built into the Black Hawk cargo hook kits. The Surefire circuit requires a purposeful, half-second press against the hook release button, guarding against inadvertent load loss resulting from accidental contact with the release button during flight.