(Sikorsky) S-61 - SH-3 Sea King @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • The Sikorsky S-61L prototype The Sikorsky S-61L prototype
    The Sikorsky S-61L prototype
  • Sikorsky S-61N Mk.II Sikorsky S-61N Mk.II
    Sikorsky S-61N Mk.II
  • Sikorsky ASH-3D Sea King of the Iranian Navy Sikorsky ASH-3D Sea King of the Iranian Navy
    Sikorsky ASH-3D Sea King of the Iranian Navy
  • Sikorsky CH-124A Sea King Sikorsky CH-124A Sea King
    Sikorsky CH-124A Sea King
  • Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant (USAF) Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant (USAF)
    Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green Giant (USAF)
  • Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican
    Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican
  • SH-3H Sea King (US NAVY - 1995) SH-3H Sea King (US NAVY - 1995)
    SH-3H Sea King (US NAVY - 1995)
  • Sikorsky S-61 Sikorsky S-61
    Sikorsky S-61
  • Westland Sea King Mk-48 of the Belgian Air Composante Westland Sea King Mk-48 of the Belgian Air Composante
    Westland Sea King Mk-48 of the Belgian Air Composante
  • Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King
    Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King
  • Sikorsky S-61L Sikorsky S-61L
    Sikorsky S-61L
  • Sikorsky S-61N Sikorsky S-61N
    Sikorsky S-61N
  • Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican
    Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican
  • An SH-3 Sea King of HC-1 recovers Apollo 17 astronauts off USS Ticonderoga, 19 Dec 1972 An SH-3 Sea King of HC-1 recovers Apollo 17 astronauts off USS Ticonderoga, 19 Dec 1972
    An SH-3 Sea King of HC-1 recovers Apollo 17 astronauts off USS Ticonderoga, 19 Dec 1972
  • Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King (S-61B) Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King (S-61B)
    Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King (S-61B)
  • Sikorsky HH-3F of the Italian Air Force Sikorsky HH-3F of the Italian Air Force
    Sikorsky HH-3F of the Italian Air Force
  • Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings of USN and the Brazil Marinha (1987) Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings of USN and the Brazil Marinha (1987)
    Sikorsky SH-3 Sea Kings of USN and the Brazil Marinha (1987)
  • UH-3H Sea Kings UH-3H Sea Kings
    UH-3H Sea Kings
  • Sikorsky S-61N on Kangerlussuaq airport (Air-Greenland, 2009) Sikorsky S-61N on Kangerlussuaq airport (Air-Greenland, 2009)
    Sikorsky S-61N on Kangerlussuaq airport (Air-Greenland, 2009)
  • VH-3A Sea King "Marine One" VH-3A Sea King "Marine One"
    VH-3A Sea King "Marine One"
  • Sikorsky XHSS-2 Sea King Sikorsky XHSS-2 Sea King
    Sikorsky XHSS-2 Sea King
  • Westland Sea King AEW.2A of the Royal Navy (1998) Westland Sea King AEW.2A of the Royal Navy (1998)
    Westland Sea King AEW.2A of the Royal Navy (1998)
  • Sikorsky S-61N Sikorsky S-61N
    Sikorsky S-61N

Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King and Sikorsky S-61

Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King

The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King (company designation S-61) is an American twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft. A landmark design, it was the world's first amphibious helicopter and one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use turboshaft engines.

The Sea King has its origins in efforts by the United States Navy as a means of counteracting the growing threat of Soviet submarines during the 1950s. Accordingly, the helicopter was specifically developed to deliver a capable ASW platform; in particular, it combined the roles of hunter and killer, which had previously been carried out by two separate helicopters. The Sea King was initially designated HSS-2, which was intended to imply a level of commonality to the earlier HSS-1; it was subsequently re-designated as the SH-3A during the early 1960s.

Introduced to service in 1961, it was operated by the United States Navy as a key ASW and utility asset for several decades prior to being replaced by the non-amphibious Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk in the 1990s. In late 1961 and early 1962, a modified U.S. Navy HSS-2 Sea King was used to break the FAI 3 km, 100 km, 500 km and 1000 km helicopter speed records. The Sea King also performed various other roles and missions such as search-and-rescue, transport, anti-shipping, medevac, plane guard, and airborne early warning operations. Several Sea Kings, operated by the United States Marine Corps's HMX-1 unit, are used as the official helicopters of the President of the United States, for which the call sign 'Marine One' would be used.

The Sea King has also proved to be popular on the export market with foreign military customers, and has also been sold to civil operators as well. As of 2015, many examples of the type remain in service in nations around the world. The Sea King has been built under license by Agusta in Italy, Mitsubishi in Japan, and by Westland in the United Kingdom as the Westland Sea King. The major civil versions are the S-61L and S-61N.

Development

During the Cold War, the Soviet Navy built up a large and varied fleet of submarines which at one point was in excess of 200 operational submarines. The US Navy decided to counter this threat by the improvement and development of various anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, which would result in the development of the Sea King. During the late 1950s, the US Navy was keen to take advantage of newly made progress upon turboshaft engines by commissioning a sizable navalised helicopter for their purposes. Sikorsky received a request from the US Navy to design a new turbine-powered helicopter capable of performing the ASW mission; the specification provided included a dipping sonar, a mission endurance of four hours, and the ability to support a weapons load of 840 lb.

In 1957, Sikorsky was awarded a contract to produce an all-weather amphibious helicopter for the U.S. Navy. As per the earlier specification, this new helicopter was to excel at ASW; in particular, it would combine the roles of hunter and killer, as these duties had previously been carried out by two separate helicopters. It was also the first helicopter to be procured under the US Navy's new weapon system concept, under which Sikorsky was responsible not only for the design and production of the airframe itself but all of the major onboard systems, such as the sonar, navigational equipment, electronic devices, and support equipment. As such, the navigation suite for the rotorcraft was developed jointly by Sikorsky and the US Navy.

Key features of the emerging ASW helicopter would include its amphibious hull, enabling the rotorcraft to readily perform water landings, and the adoption of a twin-turboshaft engine arrangement that enabled a larger, heavier and better-equipped aircraft than had been possible with prior helicopters. The designation HSS-2 was applied to imply a level of commonality to the earlier HSS-1, should political sentiment turn against the development of an entirely new rotorcraft. A total of ten prototypes were produced to support the development program. In March 1959, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight.

In early 1961, a pair of prototypes were stationed on board the aircraft carrier Lake Champlain to fulfill a demand for carrier suitability trials to be conducted; these trials, which had involved testing the folding mechanism of the main rotor blades and a series of takeoffs performed during winds of up to 50 MPH, were completed successfully in mid-1961. Shortly after the competition of suitability trials, the US Navy formally accepted delivery of the first HSS-2 rotorcraft, which would be subsequently re-designated as the SH-3A, in September 1961. Upon entering service, it was not only the largest amphibious helicopter in the world, but also held the distinction of being the first all-weather rotorcraft to reach production status for the US Navy.

In late 1961 and early 1962, a modified U.S. Navy HSS-2 Sea King was used to break the FAI 3 km, 100 km, 500 km and 1000 km helicopter speed records. This series of flights culminated on 5 February 1962 with the HSS-2 setting an absolute helicopter speed record of 210.6 mph. This record was broken by a modified French Sud-Aviation Super Frelon helicopter on 23 July 1963 with a speed of 217.7 mph.

Further developments

The base design of the Sea King had proved sound and several aspects were judged to be potentially useful for other operators, thus Sikorsky elected to pursue the further development of the Sea King for other markets beyond the US Navy. One of the major variants of the Sea King to be produced was a model for civil operators, which was designated as the Sikorsky S-61L. The first operator of the S-61L was Los Angeles Airways, who introduced the type to service on 11 March 1962. Another noteworthy Sea King variant, the significant change this time being the adoption of a conventional hull, the Sikorsky S-61R, was also concurrently developed for transport and search and rescue (SAR) duties, this type being extensively operated by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Coast Guard.

In US Navy service, the initial SH-3A model of the Sea King would be progressively converted into the improved SH-3D and SH-3H variants; these featured more powerful engines and improved sensors that gave the type greater operational capabilities as an ASW platform. It was also common for Sea Kings to be converted for non-ASW activities, these roles included minesweeping, combat search and rescue, and as a cargo/passenger utility transport. The aircrew on ASW-tasked Sea Kings were routinely trained to carry out these secondary roles as aircraft could often be quickly adapted to perform different missions in the face of operational needs.

The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) became a major operator of the type (see Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King), the Sea King continues to operate as Canada's dominant maritime helicopter 50 years following its introduction to service in 1963. One notable innovation in Canadian operations, which was subsequently adopted by several other nations, was the use of a winch 'hauldown' landing method, referred to as a 'Beartrap'. This device considerably increased the ability of Sea Kings to land in difficult conditions, such as on small flight decks or during poor weather conditions.

In addition to aircraft manufactured by Sikorsky, several license agreements were issued to other firms to produce the type, such as Mitsubishi in Japan and Agusta in Italy. Another licensee in the United Kingdom, Westland Helicopters, would substantially modify the Sea King, producing the Westland Sea King. Unlike US Navy Sea Kings, the Westland Sea King was intended for greater autonomous operation. In total, Westland produced 330 Sea Kings; beyond British operators, export customers of Westland's Sea King included the Indian Naval Air Arm, the German Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

In the early 21st century, following their drawdown in US service, there have been a number of initiatives to refurbish ex-military Sea Kings for continued operations; in addition to civil operators, nations such as Egypt and India acquired refurbished former US Sea Kings to supplement their own aging fleets. While Sikorsky had ended production of the type during the 1970s, it was reported that nearly 600 Sea Kings were in operational service in 2009.

Design

The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engine medium-sized amphibious rotorcraft. Many of the features on board the Sea King represented a considerable advancement over preceding helicopters. In addition to being fully amphibious and capable of operating under all weather conditions, it holds the distinction of being the first operational American helicopter to be able to simultaneously hunt and destroy submarines. Its twin-turboshaft powerplant layout gave the SH-3 a higher payload and greater reliability than previous anti-submarine helicopters. In the event of a single engine failing, the Sea King could continue flying on a single engine. The powerplant used on the Sea King was the General Electric T58-GE-8B, which was initially capable of generating up to 1,250 shp each.

In normal operations, the Sea King typically would have a four-man crew on board; these being a pilot and copilot in the cockpit, and two aircrew stationed within the main cabin area. When conducting anti-submarine missions, the rear aircrew would operate and monitor the aircraft's detection equipment and interpreted the sensor data that would be generated. For search-and-rescue missions, the Sea King's cabin could accommodate up to 22 survivors; in a medical layout, a maximum of nine stretchers plus two medical officers could be carried. In the troop transport role, up to 28 soldiers can be accommodated.

The Sea King features many design elements to support naval-orientated operations; the main rotor blades and the tail section can be folded via fully automated systems for compact storage onboard ships. The adoption of an amphibious hull allowed a Sea King to readily conduct a water landing and, being completely watertight, would enable the rotorcraft to remaining floating for prolonged periods upon the ocean's surface like a boat; deployable airbags in the aircraft's sponsons would add to the rotorcraft's stability and buoyancy, effectively resisting the pitching and rolling motions it would be subject to while present upon the water's surface. The hull design was also compatible with landing upon a wide range of challenging terrain, including ice, snow, swamp land, and tundra. Conventional wheels are installed in the sponsons for traditional land operations.

The armament fitted upon a Sea King could vary considerably. For anti-submarine missions, the aircraft could carry up to four torpedoes or four depth charges. For anti-ship duties, some models were outfitted to carry one or two missiles, typically Sea Eagles or Exocets. The Sea King could also be fitted to deploy the B57 nuclear bomb. ASW equipment used on Sea Kings has included the AQS-13A/B/E dipping sonar which included specialized computers for processing sonar and sonobuoy data, various models of sonobuoys, ARR-75 Sonobuoy Receivers, and the ASQ-81 Magnetic Anomaly Detector. The commonly fitted AKT-22 data link enabled the rapid dissemination of gathered sonar information to other friendly elements in range. Some later Sea King models featured the TACNAV digital navigation system and overhauled cockpit instrumentation for night vision compatibility.

Operational history

The Sea King became operational with the United States Navy in June 1961 as the HSS-2. When the unified aircraft designation system was introduced, the aircraft's designation changed to SH-3A. It was used primarily for anti-submarine warfare: detecting and tracking Soviet submarines; in the event of an outright military conflict, they would have been used to launch attacks upon them as well. Sea Kings could also operate from offshore platforms to extend their surveillance and strike range. Nighttime ASW operations were possible, albeit posing considerable difficulty for the flight crew.

The Sea King also performed various other roles and missions such as search-and-rescue, transport, anti-shipping and airborne early warning operations. Aircraft carriers would typically deploy Sea Kings to operate near the carrier as a plane guard, ready to rescue air crew who crashed during takeoff or landing. They routinely transferred personnel and mail between vessels.

The Sea King was exported in large numbers to Brazil, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom. Several operators have kept their Sea Kings in use for more than 50 years.

During the Vietnam War, SH-3s rescued the crews of downed aircraft at sea and over land, typically being equipped with self-sealing fuel tanks, multiple machine guns and heavy armor when performing such missions. Due to the type's greater range and the safety of having two engines, it was often used during rescue sorties into North Vietnam to retrieve downed aircrew. The Sea King was also used for medical evacuations and disaster relief efforts.

The SH-3 was the primary helicopter for retrieving manned space capsules starting with Mercury-Atlas 7 in May 1962. Helicopter 66 was the primary recovery vehicle for Apollo missions 8 and 10 to 13. In February 1971, an SH-3A, operating from the amphibious assault ship USS New Orleans, recovered Apollo 14. A specialist search and rescue variant of the SH-3, the HH-3, also performed in this capacity.

Several Sea Kings, operated by the United States Marine Corps's HMX-1 unit, are used as the official helicopters of the President of the United States; in this capacity, the call sign 'Marine One' is used by the helicopter currently occupied by the President. As of 2012, a replacement helicopter fleet for the Sea King is pending under the VXX program. In 1992, the US Justice Department sued Sikorsky over allegations of overcharged component pricing and deliberately misleading US Navy negotiators. In 1997, the Justice Department issued further accusations against Sikorsky of willful overcharging on a contract to upgrade the Navy's Sea Kings.

During the 1990s, the Sea King was replaced in the ASW and SAR roles by the U.S. Navy with the newer Sikorsky SH-60 Sea Hawk. However, the SH-3 continued to operate in reserve units in roles including logistical support, search and rescue, and transport. On 27 January 2006, the SH-3 was ceremonially retired at NAS Norfolk, Virginia, by Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 2 (HC-2). They have been replaced by increasingly advanced variants of the SH-60 Sea Hawk.

Variants

    US military

  • XHSS-2 : The only prototype of the H-3 Sea King.
  • YHSS-2 : Pre-production S-61 aircraft, seven built for the U.S. Navy, re-designated YSH-3A in 1962.
  • HSS-2 : Original designation of the Sea King. Changed to SH-3A by the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system
  • SH-3A : Anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the U.S. Navy; 245 built. Originally designated HSS-2.
  • HH-3A : Combat search and rescue helicopter for the U.S. Navy. 12 converted from SH-3A.
  • CH-3A : Military transport version for the U.S. Air Force; three converted from SH-3As into CH-3A configuration; they later became CH-3Bs.
  • NH-3A (S-61F) : Experimental high-speed compound helicopter, with extensive streamlining, no floats, short wings carrying two turbojet engines for extra speed; one converted from SH-3A.Later modified with a tail rotor able to rotate 90° to serve as a pusher propeller; this helicopter demonstrated "Roto-Prop" pusher propeller for Sikorsky's S-66 design.
  • RH-3A : Minesweeper helicopter for the U.S. Navy. Nine converted from SH-3A aircraft.
  • VH-3A : VIP transport helicopter for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps; originally designated HSS-2Z. Eight built, plus two SH-3A conversions rebuilt from damaged helicopters (one YHSS-2 and one SH-3A). The rest were returned to the U.S. Navy in 1975–76 and replaced by the VH-3D.
  • CH-3B : Military transport helicopter for the U.S. Air Force.
  • SH-3D : Anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the U.S. Navy. 73 built and two conversions from SH-3As.
  • VH-3D : VIP transport helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps, 11 built. It entered service in 1976.
  • SH-3G : Cargo, utility transport helicopter for the U.S. Navy. 105 conversions from SH-3A and SH-3D.
  • SH-3H : Upgrade of the SH-3G as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter for the U.S. Navy. It included SH-3G features with improvements for ASW, anti-ship missile detection and other airframe improvements. 163 SH-3A/D/Gs were upgraded to SH-3H configuration.
  • SH-3H AEW : Airborne early warning version for the Spanish navy.
  • UH-3H : Cargo, utility transport version for the U.S. Navy; converted from SH-3H by removing ASW systems.

    • Sikorsky designations

  • S-61 : Company designation for the Sea King.
  • S-61A : Export version for the Royal Danish Air Force. Wider pontoons without flotation bags, a 530-liter center tank instead of a dipping sonar and no automatic powered folding system.
  • S-61A-4 Nuri : Military transport, search and rescue helicopter for the Royal Malaysian Air Force. It can seat up to 31 combat troops. 38 built.
  • S-61A/AH : Utility helicopter for survey work and search and rescue in the Antarctic.
  • S-61B : Export version of the SH-3 anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force.
  • S-61D-3 : Export version for the Brazilian Navy.
  • S-61D-4 : Export version for the Argentine Navy.
  • S-61NR : Search and rescue version for the Argentine Air Force.
  • S-61V : Company designation for the VH-3A. One built for Indonesia.
  • S-61L/N : Civil versions of the Sea King.
  • S-61R : The S-61R served in the United States Air Force as the CH-3C/E Sea King and the HH-3E Jolly Green Giant, and with the United States Coast Guard and the Italian Air Force as the HH-3F Sea King (more commonly referred to by the nickname "Pelican").

    United Aircraft of Canada

  • CH-124 : Anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the Royal Canadian Navy (41 assembled by United Aircraft of Canada).
  • CH-124A : The Sea King Improvement Program (SKIP) added modernized avionics as well as improved safety features.
  • CH-124B : Alternate version of the CH-124A without a dipping sonar but formerly with a MAD sensor and additional storage for deployable stores. In 2006, the five aircraft of this variant were converted to support the Standing Contingency Task Force (SCTF), and were modified with additional troop seats, and frequency agile radios. Plans to add fast-rope capability, EAPSNIPS (Engine Air Particle Separator / Snow & Ice Particle Separator) did not come to fruition.
  • CH-124B2 : Six CH-124Bs were upgraded to the CH-124B2 standard in 1991–1992. The revised CH-124B2 retained the sonobuoy processing gear to passively detect submarines but was also fitted with a towed-array sonar to supplement the ship's sonar. Since anti-submarine warfare is no longer a major priority within the Canadian Forces, the CH-124B2 were refitted again to become improvised troop carriers for the newly formed Standing Contingency Task Force.
  • CH-124C : One CH-124 operated by the Helicopter Operational Test and Evaluation Facility located at CFB Shearwater. Used for testing new gear, and when not testing new gear, it is deployable to any Canadian Forces ship requiring a helicopter.
  • CH-124U : Unofficial designation for four CH-124s that were modified for passenger/freight transport. One crashed in 1973, and the survivors were later refitted to become CH-124A's.

    • Westland

    The Westland Sea King variant was manufactured under license by Westland Helicopters Ltd in the United Kingdom, who developed a specially modified version for the Royal Navy. It is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Gnome turbines (license-built T58s), and has British avionics and ASW equipment. This variant first flew in 1969, and entered service the next year. It is also used by the Royal Air Force in a search and rescue capacity, and has been sold to many countries around the world.

    Agusta

  • AS-61 : Company designation for the H-3 Sea King built under license in Italy by Agusta.
  • AS-61A-1 : Italian export model for the Royal Malaysian Air Force.
  • AS-61A-4 : Military transport, search and rescue helicopter.
  • AS-61N-1 Silver : License built model of the S-61N, with a shortened cabin.
  • AS-61VIP : VIP transport helicopter.
  • ASH-3A (SH-3G) : Utility transport helicopter
  • ASH-3D : Anti-submarine warfare helicopter. Flown by the Italian, Brazilian, Iranian, Peruvian and Argentinian navies.
  • ASH-3TS : VIP, executive transport mission helicopter. Also known as the ASH-3D/TS, the Italian Air Force operated 2 from 1975 until 2012.
  • ASH-3H : Anti-submarine warfare helicopter.

    Mitsubishi

  • S-61A : License-built version of the S-61A as Search-and-Rescue and Utility helicopters for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. 18 built.
  • HSS-2 : License-built version of the S-61B as an anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. 55 built.
  • HSS-2A : License-built version of the S-61B(SH-3D) as an anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. 28 built.
  • HSS-2B : License-built version of the S-61B(SH-3H) as an anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. 23 built.

Operators

  • Argentina : Argentine Naval Aviation – 5 x S-61D-4
  • Belgium : Belgian Air Force – 5 x Mk.48s in the 40th Squadron Heli (Belgium)
  • Brazil : Brazilian Navy – 6 x S-61D-3
  • Canada :
    • Royal Canadian Air Force
    • Royal Canadian Navy, former operator
  • Denmark : Royal Danish Air Force, – 8 x S-61A, 1 x S-61-5, former operator.
  • India : Indian Navy
  • Iran : Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (Navy Aviation) – 20 x AS.61-A
  • Iraq : Iraqi Air Force former operator
  • Italy :
    • Italian Air Force – 1 x AS.61A-4 for VIP operations, former operator
    • Italian Navy – 29 x AS SH-3D
  • Japan : Japan Maritime Self Defense Force – 3 x S-61A, 1 x S-61A-1, 7 x S-61AH, former operator
  • Malaysia : Royal Malaysian Air Force 40 x S-61A-4 (Nuri)
  • Peru : Peruvian Navy – 4 x AS-61D
  • Saudi Arabia : Royal Saudi Air Force, – 3 x AS.61A-4, former operator
  • Spain : Spanish Navy – 18 x SH-3D, SH-3G and SH-3H
  • United States :
    • United States Navy, former operator
    • United States Marine Corps
    • HMX-1
    • Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, former operator
  • Venezuela : Venezuelan Army

 

Sikorsky S-61

The Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N are civil variants of the successful Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopter. They are two of the most widely used airliner and oil rig support helicopters built.

Design and development

In September 1957, Sikorsky won a United States Navy development contract for an amphibious anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter capable of detecting and attacking submarines. The XHSS-2 Sea King prototype flew on 11 March 1959. Production deliveries of the HSS-2 (later designated SH-3A) began in September 1961, with the initial production aircraft being powered by two 930 kW (1.250shp) General Electric T58-GE-8B turboshafts.

Sikorsky was quick to develop a commercial model of the Sea King. The S-61L first flew on 2 November 1961, and was 4 ft 3 in (1.30 m) longer than the HSS-2 in order to carry a substantial payload of freight or passengers. Initial production S-61Ls were powered by two 1350shp (1005 kW) GE CT58-140 turboshafts, the civil version of the T58. The S-61L features a modified landing gear without float stabilisers.

Los Angeles Airways was the first civil operator of the S-61, introducing them on 11 March 1962, for a purchased price of $650,000 each.

The East Pakistan Helicopter Service used three S-61s. The service linked 20 East Pakistani towns, which made it one of the most extensive commercial helicopter networks at the time.

On 7 August 1962, the S-61N made its first flight. Otherwise identical to the S-61L, this version is optimized for overwater operations, particularly oil rig support, by retaining the SH-3's floats. Both the S-61L and S-61N were subsequently updated to Mk II standard with improvements including more powerful CT58-110 engines giving better hot and high performance, vibration damping and other detail refinements.

The Payloader, a stripped down version optimized for aerial crane work, was the third civil model of the S-61. The Payloader features the fixed undercarriage of the S-61L, but with an empty weight almost 2,000 lb (910 kg) less than the standard S-61N.

Carson Helicopters was the first company to shorten a commercial S-61. The fuselage is shortened by 50 in (1.3 m) to increase single-engine performance and external payload.

A unique version is the S-61 Shortsky conversion of S-61Ls and S-61Ns by Helipro International. VIH Logging was the launch customer for the HeliPro Shortsky conversion, which first flew in February 1996.

One modification for the S-61 is the Carson Composite Main Rotor Blade. These blades replace the original Sikorsky metal blades, which are prone to fatigue, and permit a modified aircraft to carry an additional 2,000 lb (907 kg) load, fly 15 kn (28 km/h) faster and increase range 61 nmi (113 km).

The latest version is the modernized S-61T helicopter. The United States Department of State has signed a purchase agreement for up to 110 modernized S-61T aircraft for passenger and cargo transport missions in support of its worldwide operations. The first two modernized S-61 aircraft will support missions for the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan.

Variants

  • S-61L : Non-amphibious civil transport version. It can seat up to 30 passengers
  • S-61L Mk II : Improved version of the S-61L helicopter, equipped with cargo bins.
  • S-61N : Amphibious civil transport version.
  • S-61N Mk II : Improved version of the S-61N helicopter.
  • S-61NM : An L model in an N configuration.
  • S-61T Triton : S-61 modernized upgrade by Sikorsky and Carson; Upgrades include composite main rotor blades, full airframe structural refurbishment, conversion of folding rotor head to non-folding, new modular wiring harness, and Cobham glass cockpit avionics; initial models converted were S-61N.

Operators

  • Canada :
    • CHC Helicopter
    • Cougar Helicopters
    • Coulson Aircrane
    • Canadian Helicopters Ltd.
  • Greenland : Air Greenland
  • Lebanon : Lebanese Air Force
  • United Kingdom : Bristow Helicopters
  • United States :
    • AAR Corp
    • Carson Helicopters
    • Croman Corporation
    • Helicopter Transport Services
    • United States Department of State

Former operators

  • Argentina : Argentine Air Force
  • Australia : Ansett-ANA
  • Canada :
    • Canadian Coast Guard
    • Helijet
  • Ireland :
    • Irish Air Corps
    • Irish Coast Guard
  • Netherlands : KLM Helikopters
  • Pakistan : Pakistan International Airlines
  • United Kingdom :
    • British Airways Helicopters
    • British International Helicopters
    • Her Majesty's Coastguard
  • United States :
    • Los Angeles Airways
    • New York Airways
    • San Francisco and Oakland Helicopter Airlines

Notable accidents

  • Pakistan International Airlines Flight 17 was a Sikorsky S-61 that crashed on 2 February 1966 on a scheduled domestic flight in East Pakistan with 23 killed and one survivor.
  • On 22 May 1968, Los Angeles Airways Flight 841 crashed near Paramount, California, resulting in the loss of 23 lives. The accident aircraft, N303Y, serial number 61060, was a Sikorsky S-61L en route to Los Angeles International Airport from the Disneyland Heliport in Anaheim, California.
  • On 14 August 1968, Los Angeles Airways Flight 417 crashed in Compton, California, while en route to the Disneyland Heliport in Anaheim, California from Los Angeles International Airport, resulting in the loss of 21 lives. The accident aircraft, N300Y, serial number 61031, was the prototype of the Sikorsky S-61L.
  • On 25 October 1973, a Greenlandair S-61N, OY-HAI "Akigssek" ("Grouse") crashed about 40 km south of Nuuk, resulting in the loss of 15 lives. It was en route to Paamiut from Nuuk. The same aircraft had an emergency landing on the Kangerlussuaq fjord two years earlier, due to flameout on both engines because of ice in the intake.
  • On 10 May 1974 KLM Noordzee Helikopters S-61N PH-NZC crashed en route to an oil rig in the North Sea. None of the two crew and four passengers survived. The probable cause was a failure in one of five rotor blades due to metal fatigue. The resulting imbalance caused the motor mounts to fail and resulted in a fire. The uncontrollable aircraft landed hard in the water, capsized and sank. Investigation indicated that the metal fatigue crack must have spread rapidly in less than four hours. The rotor blades are pressurized with nitrogen gas at 10 psi to indicate the onset of a metal fatigue failure, yet no pressure loss was indicated during the preflight inspection. As a result of the accident it was recommended to shorten inspection intervals. The aircraft was recovered from the North Sea floor. It was rebuilt and currently flies as registration N87580 in the USA.
  • On 16 May 1977, New York Airways' commercial S-61-L, N619PA, suffered a static rollover onto its starboard side at the heliport on top of the Pan Am Building while boarding passengers. The accident killed four boarding passengers and one woman on the street. 17 additional passengers and the three flight crew members were uninjured. The landing gear collapse was a result of metal fatigue in the helicopter's main landing gear shock-absorbing strut assembly, which caused the helicopter to tip over without warning. The accident resulted in the permanent closure of the Pan Am Building heliport. As the heliport was closed, the wreckage was removed by disassembling it and taking the assemblies down to street level using the building's freight elevators. The airframe was taken to Cape Town, South Africa, where it was rebuilt, certified and returned to service as the first S61 used in the Ship-Service Role off the shores of the Western Cape by the company "Court Helicopter" which was later amalgamated with CHC.
  • On 16 July 1983, British Airways Helicopters' commercial S-61 G-BEON crashed in the southern Celtic Sea, in the Atlantic Ocean, while en route from Penzance to St Mary's, Isles of Scilly in thick fog. Only six of the 26 on board survived. It sparked a review of helicopter safety and was the worst civilian helicopter disaster in the UK until 1986.
  • On March 20, 1985, an Okanagan Helicopters S-61N (C-GOKZ) ditched in the Atlantic Ocean off of Owl's Head, Nova Scotia. The aircraft was en route from the MODU Sedco 709 offshore Nova Scotia to the Halifax International Airport(YHZ)when the main gearbox suffered a total loss of transmission fluid. There were 15 passengers and two crew on board. There were no injuries during the ditching, however several passengers suffered varying degrees of hypothermia. As a result of this incident, improved thermal protection and other advancements in helicopter transportation suits were instituted for offshore workers on Canada's east coast.
  • 12 July 1988 a British International Helicopters S-61N ditched into the North Sea, no injuries.
  • On 25 July 1990 a British International Helicopters Sikorsky S-61 registration 'G-BEWL' coming in from Sumburgh Airport crashed onto the Brent Spar oil storage platform as the pilots were attempting to land. The aircraft fell into the North Sea, where six of the 13 passengers and crew on board died.
  • On 8 July 2006, a Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima S-61N Mk.II search and rescue helicopter, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while it was flying from Tenerife to La Palma. There were no survivors among the six people on board.
  • On 5 August 2008, two pilots and seven firefighters assigned to the Iron Complex fire in California's Shasta–Trinity National Forest, were killed when Carson Helicopters S-61N N612AZ crashed on takeoff. Of the 13 people reportedly on board, one other pilot and three firefighters survived the crash with serious or critical injuries. The NTSB determined that the probable causes were the following actions by Carson Helicopters: 1) the intentional understatement of the helicopter’s empty weight, 2) the alteration of the power available chart to exaggerate lift capability, and 3) the use of unapproved above-minimum specification torque in performance calculations that, collectively, resulted in the pilots’ relying on performance calculations that significantly overestimated load-carrying capacity and without an adequate performance margin for a successful takeoff; and insufficient oversight by the U.S. Forest Service and the Federal Aviation Administration. Contributing factors were the flight crew's failure to address the fact that the helicopter had approached its maximum performance capability on two prior departures from the accident site as they were accustomed to operating at its performance limit. Contributing to the fatalities were the immediate, intense fire due to a fuel spillage upon impact from the fuel tanks that were not crash-resistant, the separation from the floor of the cabin seats that were not crash-resistant, and the use of an inappropriate release mechanism on the seat restraints.

    •  

    Sikorsky S-61R/CH-3C/E, HH-3E Jolly Green Giant, HH-3F Pelican

    The Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine helicopter used in transport or search and rescue roles. A developed version of the S-61/SH-3 Sea King, the S-61R was also built under license by Agusta as the AS-61R. The S-61R served in the United States Air Force as the CH-3C/E Sea King and the HH-3E Jolly Green Giant, and with the United States Coast Guard as the HH-3F "Pelican".

    Development

    The Sikorsky S-61R was developed as a derivative of their S-61/SH-3 Sea King model. It features a substantially revised fuselage with a rear loading ramp, a conventional though watertight hull instead of the S-61's boat-hull, and retractable tricycle landing gear. The fuselage layout was used by Sikorsky for the larger CH-53 variants, and by the much later (though similarly-sized) S-92.

    Sikorsky designed and built an S-61R prototype as a private venture with its first flight in 1963. During its development, the US Air Force placed an order for the aircraft, which was designated CH-3C. The Air Force used the CH-3C to recover downed pilots. The CH-3E variant with more powerful engines would follow in 1965.

    The improved HH-3E variant would follow later, with eight built, and all 50 CH-3Es were converted to this standard. Known as the Jolly Green Giant, the HH-3E featured protective armor, self-sealing tanks, a retractable inflight refueling probe, jettisonable external tanks, a high-speed hoist, and other specialized equipment.

    In 1965, the U.S. Coast Guard ordered a version designated HH-3F Sea King (more commonly known by its nickname "Pelican") for all-weather air-sea rescue. The Pelican featured search radar with a nose antenna radome offset to port, and water landing capability.

    Italian Agusta built a S-61R variant, named AS-61R under license. Agusta produced 22 helicopters for the Italian Air Force. The company claimed it could re-open the production line in 36 months to build additional AS-61 helicopters.

    Operational service : United States

    USAF variants served in numerous air rescue squadrons and aerospace rescue and recovery squadrons of the Military Airlift Command (MAC), rescue squadrons of the Air Combat Command (ACC) and other USAF major commands worldwide. The aircraft was also used by a number of Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard rescue squadrons. All USAF HH-3Es, to include Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard, were retired in the 1990s and replaced by the current HH-60G Pavehawk.

    The HH-3F Pelican was a dependable workhorse for the US Coast Guard from the late 1960s until it was phased out in the late 1990s. All USCG HH-3Fs were replaced by the HH-60J Jayhawk and those aircraft have since been upgraded to the MH-60T Jayhawk version.

    Transatlantic flight

    Between 31 May and 1 June 1967, two HH-3Es of the United States Air Force made the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean by helicopter. Departing from New York in the early hours, the two helicopters arrived at the 1967 Paris Air Show at Le Bourget after a 30 hr 46 min flight. The operation needed nine in-flight refuelings. Both helicopters were later lost in combat operations in Southeast Asia in 1969 and 1970.

    Honors and awards

    Due to the nature of combat operations, particularly in Southeast Asia, many of the operational H-3 crews received honors and awards. The highest American military award, the Medal of Honor, was awarded to Captain Gerald Young, USAF, on 9 November 1967. Young piloted an HH-3E, AF Ser. No. 66-13279, of the 37th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron in an attempt to rescue a US Army Special Forces reconnaissance team trapped by enemy fire in Laos. When his aircraft was shot down, he escaped the burning wreckage and, despite severe wounds, evaded capture for 17 hours until being rescued. As a result of Captain Young's efforts, the other survivor of the crash was ultimately rescued and the bodies of those servicemembers who died were also recovered.

    Operational service : Italy

    Italian Agusta began production in 1974 and delivered 22 helicopters as replacements for the Grumman HU-16 Albatross used for SAR (Search and Rescue) missions at sea. Italian Air Force AS-61R helicopters performed SAR missions under designation HH-3F in time of peace and C/SAR (Combat SAR) in time of crisis or during military assignment. All helicopters were operated by the five flights of the 15° Stormo Stefano Cagna and deployed in four bases across Italy.

    From 1993 15° Stormo performed support missions to evacuate civilians during natural catastrophes and disasters in Italy. 15º Stormo was also engaged with SAR missions in the hostile zones of the several operations abroad where Italian Armed Forces were deployed - Somalia, Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

    The Italian Air Force phased out the HH-3F on 26 September 2014, replacing them with the AgustaWestland AW139 in the SAR role

    Variants

    • S-61R : Military transport helicopter, Sikorsky model number.
    • HR3S-1 : Proposed transport helicopter for U.S. Marine Corps, cancelled
    • S-61R-10 : Prototype operated by Sikorsky and first flown 17 June 1963.
    • S-61R-12 : One aircraft for the Argentine Air Force to HH-3F standards.
    • CH-3C : Long-range military transport helicopter for the US Air Force, 75 built.
    • CH-3E : Long-range military transport helicopter for the US Air Force. 41 converted from CH-3C, plus 45 newly manufactured.
    • HH-3E Jolly Green Giant : Long-range search and rescue helicopter for the US Air Force, 50 converted from CH-3E.
    • MH-3E : Special Operations version for the US Air Force.
    • VH-3E : US Air Force VIP transport helicopter.
    • HH-3F "Pelican" : Long-range search and rescue helicopter for the US Coast Guard, 40 built.
    • AS-61R (HH-3F Pelican) : Long-range search and rescue helicopter built since 1974 under license in Italy by Agusta, 22 built.

    Military operators

    • Tunisia : Tunisian Air Force

    Civil operators

    • United States :
      • Carson Helicopters
      • Erickson

    Former operators

    • Argentina : Argentine Air Force
    • Italy : Italian Air Force
    • United States :
      • San Bernardino County Sheriff
      • United States Air Force
      • United States Coast Guard

    Sikorsky S-61

    • Role : Medium-lift transport / airliner helicopter.
    • Manufacturer : Sikorsky Aircraft.
    • First flight : March 11, 1959.
    • Introduction : September 1961.
    • Status : Active service (2018).
    • Primary users :
      • CHC Helicopter.
      • Bristow Helicopters.
      • AAR Airlift.
    • Number built : 119.
    • Developed from : Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King.

      • Specifications (S-61N Mk II)

    • Crew : two pilots.
    • Capacity : up to 30 passengers.
    • Length : 58 ft 11 in (17.96 m).
    • Height : 17 ft 6 in (5.32 m).
    • Rotor diameter : 62 ft (18.9 m).
    • Disc area : 3,019 ft² (280.6 m²).
    • Empty weight : 12,336 lb (5,595 kg).
    • Loaded weight : 16,164 lb (7,332 kg).
    • Max. takeoff weight : 19,000 lb (8,620 kg).
    • Maximum speed : 166 mph (267 km/h).
    • Cruise speed : 120 kts (222 km/h).
    • Range : 450 NM (833 km).
    • Service ceiling : 12,500 ft (3,810 m).
    • Rate of climb : 1,310–2,220 ft/min (400–670 m/min).
    • Powerplant : Two General Electric CT58-140 turboshafts.
    • Power : 1,500 shp (1,120 kW) each.

    — — — = = — — —

    This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
    Source : Article Sikorsky S-61 of Wikipedia ( authors )
    Sikorsky S-61 - SH-3 Sea King : Your comments on this subject
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