I have noticed that Black Hawk helicopters have tires, but I have not seen one take off like a plane.
When would a helicopter need to use a running take off or landing?
When is it determined whether a helicopter gets skids or wheels?
I have noticed that Black Hawk helicopters have tires, but I have not seen one take off like a plane.
When would a helicopter need to use a running take off or landing?
When is it determined whether a helicopter gets skids or wheels?
AOPA has a nice little blog post on the matter
Skid landing gear is simple and lighter weight, so it is the best choice for small helicopters as weight is always a consideration. Also, skid landing gear needs very little maintenance, but the drawback is that ground handling is more difficult.
And for wheels
On larger more powerful twin-engine helicopters weight is not as big of a concern and retractable wheels make sense. Wheels are nice because a helicopter can ground taxi (as opposed to hover taxi) around other aircraft and people without worrying about producing a high downwash. Retracting the gear also reduces drag, allowing for a higher cruise speed.
So skids are light and simple and wheels are convenient when you have the useful load and space.
This article also notes thats skids are preferred when parking on an non-level surface to prevent accidental rolling around and or sliding off the deck of a carrier.
The answer seems to be that they are chosen based on the mission profile of the helicopter as well as the size to some extent.