Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King
To replace various helicopters in service at the time, namely the SH-34 Seahorse, the US Navy awarded Sikorsky a contract to develop a helicopter that would combine several roles into one airframe: hunter/killer antisubmarine warfare, cargo transport, and search and rescue. It would also have to be capable of amphibious operations and had to be able to operate from smaller ships as well as aircraft carriers. Sikorsky’s HSS-2 Sea King was the response, and it first flew in March 1959. The HSS-2 had a distinctive “boat” hull for water landings, including flotation bags in the sponsons, good visibility from the cockpit, and a folding tail section for stowage. In the antisubmarine role, the HSS-2 was equipped with a dipping sonar unreeled from the forward hull, 21 sonobuoys, and a MAD “bird” capable of being deployed from the port sponson. In 1962, the type’s designation was changed to SH-3A.
The SH-3 would remain in US Navy service for the next 50 years. During Vietnam and the Third World War, it operated in plane guard duties for carriers, the first aircraft to launch and the last to recover; it also served in SAR duties from the carriers and smaller ships, flying over water and often over land to rescue downed pilots. In this role, the SH-3 is probably responsible for the rescue of more people than any other aircraft type. Dedicated SAR helicopters often were equipped with heavy or light machine guns. Other versions were converted to UH-3 utility helicopters and VH-3 VIP transports. The latter are the last Sea Kings in US service; the US Navy began replacing the aging SH-3 following the First Gulf War, with ASW/SAR SH-3s mostly gone from fleet service by 1997. Cargo and utility variants remained in service until 2006. Besides its service in the US armed forces, Sea Kings were heavily exported to 17 air forces, including license-built versions made by Westland (Sea Kings), United Aircraft of Canada (CH-124), Agusta (AS-61), and Mitsubishi (HSS-2); foreign variants are used both in traditional roles for the Sea King, as well as antishipping duties, troop transports, minesweeping, and even AEW. It remains in service worldwide.
The USS Yorktown (CVS-10) carried a squadron of SH-3s for ASW work during the 1960s, usually HS-4 on the West Coast. During its Vietnam service, as North Vietnam had no submarines, the Yorktown used its SH-3s for search and rescue. Though HS-4's helicopters were painted in standard US Navy gray over white during Vietnam, a number were armored and armed with door guns and painted overall gray. The Yorktown's "normal" SH-3s used the callsign Fetch, but the gray SAR birds were known as Big Mother. (The most famous SH-3 was "Fetch 66," which picked up the crew of Apollo 8 from the Yorktown in December 1968, and subsequently picked up other Apollo missions on other carriers.)
As such, the markings on this SH-3 are somewhat confusing. Before 1964, the Yorktown's SH-3s were painted overall engine gray with high-visibility red panels, before switching over to gray over white. This scheme is close to engine gray, but uses the smaller insignia of the Big Mothers. However, the Big Mothers used subdued lettering and did not carry the large white numbers seen here.
My dad controlled quite a few SH-3 rescue missions as a radarman aboard the Yorktown from 1964 to 1969, and got to ride in a SH-3 once. Whatever its color scheme, it was nice to see one of these in May 2014. Bureau Number 149932 was originally built as a SH-3G.
Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King
To replace various helicopters in service at the time, namely the SH-34 Seahorse, the US Navy awarded Sikorsky a contract to develop a helicopter that would combine several roles into one airframe: hunter/killer antisubmarine warfare, cargo transport, and search and rescue. It would also have to be capable of amphibious operations and had to be able to operate from smaller ships as well as aircraft carriers. Sikorsky’s HSS-2 Sea King was the response, and it first flew in March 1959. The HSS-2 had a distinctive “boat” hull for water landings, including flotation bags in the sponsons, good visibility from the cockpit, and a folding tail section for stowage. In the antisubmarine role, the HSS-2 was equipped with a dipping sonar unreeled from the forward hull, 21 sonobuoys, and a MAD “bird” capable of being deployed from the port sponson. In 1962, the type’s designation was changed to SH-3A.
The SH-3 would remain in US Navy service for the next 50 years. During Vietnam and the Third World War, it operated in plane guard duties for carriers, the first aircraft to launch and the last to recover; it also served in SAR duties from the carriers and smaller ships, flying over water and often over land to rescue downed pilots. In this role, the SH-3 is probably responsible for the rescue of more people than any other aircraft type. Dedicated SAR helicopters often were equipped with heavy or light machine guns. Other versions were converted to UH-3 utility helicopters and VH-3 VIP transports. The latter are the last Sea Kings in US service; the US Navy began replacing the aging SH-3 following the First Gulf War, with ASW/SAR SH-3s mostly gone from fleet service by 1997. Cargo and utility variants remained in service until 2006. Besides its service in the US armed forces, Sea Kings were heavily exported to 17 air forces, including license-built versions made by Westland (Sea Kings), United Aircraft of Canada (CH-124), Agusta (AS-61), and Mitsubishi (HSS-2); foreign variants are used both in traditional roles for the Sea King, as well as antishipping duties, troop transports, minesweeping, and even AEW. It remains in service worldwide.
The USS Yorktown (CVS-10) carried a squadron of SH-3s for ASW work during the 1960s, usually HS-4 on the West Coast. During its Vietnam service, as North Vietnam had no submarines, the Yorktown used its SH-3s for search and rescue. Though HS-4's helicopters were painted in standard US Navy gray over white during Vietnam, a number were armored and armed with door guns and painted overall gray. The Yorktown's "normal" SH-3s used the callsign Fetch, but the gray SAR birds were known as Big Mother. (The most famous SH-3 was "Fetch 66," which picked up the crew of Apollo 8 from the Yorktown in December 1968, and subsequently picked up other Apollo missions on other carriers.)
As such, the markings on this SH-3 are somewhat confusing. Before 1964, the Yorktown's SH-3s were painted overall engine gray with high-visibility red panels, before switching over to gray over white. This scheme is close to engine gray, but uses the smaller insignia of the Big Mothers. However, the Big Mothers used subdued lettering and did not carry the large white numbers seen here.
My dad controlled quite a few SH-3 rescue missions as a radarman aboard the Yorktown from 1964 to 1969, and got to ride in a SH-3 once. Whatever its color scheme, it was nice to see one of these in May 2014. Bureau Number 149932 was originally built as a SH-3G.