The S-64 had a six-blade main rotor and was powered by two 4,050 shaft horsepower (3,020 kW) Pratt & Whitney JFTD12A turboshaft engines.

Since that time, Erickson Air-Crane has become the manufacturer and world's largest operator of S-64 Aircranes and has made over 1,350 changes to the airframe, instrumentation, and payload capabilities of the helicopter.

[3] The helicopter is capable of refilling its entire tank of water in 45 seconds from a tube (which they call a snorkel) 18 inches (46 cm) thick.

Those in the Erickson Air-Crane fleet are leased worldwide to organizations, companies, and federal government agencies for either short-term or longer term use in fire suppression, civil protection, heavy lift construction, and timber harvesting.

The Erickson S-64E nicknamed "Olga" was used to lift the top section of the CN Tower into place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.