Flightline: 57/TBD

"user314" (user314)
10/07/2020 at 11:00 • Filed to: flightline, Planelopnik, planelopnik history, Helicopter, Helicopterlopnik, vietnam war

US Army CH-37 with day-glo orange markings, circa 1950s

Ordered by the USMC in 1951 under the designation !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the Sikorsky Mojave helo was the largest helicopter in the Western world at the time, and was the last large helicopter powered by piston engines. The Marines wanted a helicopter capable of carrying 3 !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! or 26 fully equipped troops, and Sikorsky responded with the S-56, which housed two !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! s in pods (which also contained the retractable main landing gear), which left the fuselage free to carry the maximum amount of cargo. The nose featured clamshell doors, which allowed rapid loading and unloading of men and cargo. Considerations were made for ship-board service, as the main rotor and tail could be folded.

A retired CH-37B on display at Pima Air & Space Museum. Note the folded rotor blades.

Marines debarking from a Sikorsky HR2S-1 helicopter.

U.S. Marines offload a M101 105 mm howitzer from a Sikorsky HR2S-1

Fifty-five HR2S-1 production models were produced for the Marines, along with two HR2S-1W AEW choppers for the Navy.

Photo montage of the HR2S-1W, showing the radome containing the AN/APS-20E.

In 1954, one HR2S was evaluated by the Army as a YH-37, with 94 more H-37As beginning in 1956. In the early 1960s, the Army Mojaves were upgraded as H-37B, adding a Lear auto-stabilization system which allowed the helo to be loaded and unloaded while in a hover, as well as a redesigned nose door and crashproof fuel cells. With the 1962 Tri Service designation arrangement, the US Army choppers were redesignated CH-47A and B, while the USMC variant was now called the CH-37C.

In addition to transporting men and cargo, the Mojave was also used to retrieve film capsules returning from reconnaissance satellites and to cart around space capsules for the Mercury program.

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Four US Army CH-37Bs were deployed to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in September 1965 to assist in the recovery of downed U.S. aircraft, operating from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! until May 1967. Over US$7.5 million worth of equipment was recovered by the quartet, some from behind enemy lines. Some Marine CH-37Cs were also pressed into service as retrieval aircraft.

A CH-37C removes a battle damaged UH-34, 1966

US Army CH-37 Helicopter with downed Piasecki H-21

Despite serving admirably, the CH-47s piston engines were underpowered, and the choppers were eclipsed by more modern turbine-powered heavy lift helos like the CH-53 and CH-47, and they were retired from service by the late 1960s. Six B and C model Mojaves are !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! around the country.

A Marine Corps CH-47C. missing its rotor blades. on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum

DISCUSSION (13)

ttyymmnn > user314
10/07/2020 at 11:12

What couldn’t the Wasp do? Talk about a Jack of all trades. The Mojave is a beast.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > user314
10/07/2020 at 11:23

I had never heard of this ship before reading this post.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > user314
10/07/2020 at 11:23

What a kick ass helicopter

Chariotoflove > user314
10/07/2020 at 11:38

I think each unit should have come from the factory with a fedora as standard equipment.

user314 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
10/07/2020 at 11:59

I’ve seen enough hentai Vietnam history shows that I knew about the Mojave, but I was completely unaware that they were ordered by the Marines initially, or that the Navy had AEW versions. Pretty sure I’ve learned something doing almost all of these posts.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > user314
10/07/2020 at 15:05

What is hentai about?

user314 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
10/07/2020 at 15:56

“ I’ve seen enough hentai... ” is an internet meme. I was just having some fun with it.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > user314
10/07/2020 at 16:27

Tentacle rape?

user314 > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
10/07/2020 at 17:01

If you don’t know, you’re better off not knowing. What has been seen, cannot be unseen .

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > user314
10/07/2020 at 17:28

That was my assessment.