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H-19 Chickasaw / S-55
Sikorsky S-55 inflight c
An Army UH-19D Chickasaw
Role Utility helicopter
Manufacturer Sikorsky
First flight 10 November 1949
Introduction 1950
Number built At least 1,102
Variants Westland Whirlwind

The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, (also known by its Sikorsky model number, S-55) was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom. United States Navy and United States Coast Guard models were designated HO4S, while those of the U.S. Marine Corps were designated HRS. In 1962, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps versions were all redesignated as H-19s like their U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force counterparts.

Design and development[]

The H-19's first flight was on 10 November 1949 and it entered operations in 1950. Over 1,000 of the helicopters were manufactured by Sikorsky for the United States. An additional 550 were manufactured by licensees of the helicopter including Westland Aircraft, the SNCASE in France and Mitsubishi in Japan.

The helicopter was widely exported, used by many other nations, including Portugal, Greece, Israel, Chile, South Africa, Denmark and Turkey.

In 1954 the Marines tested an idea to assist the rotors lift better in hot or high climates and if the helicopter was overloaded, by installing a rocket nozzle at the tip of each rotor blade with the fuel tank located in the center above the rotor blade hub. Enough fuel was provided for seven minutes of operation.[1]

Operational history[]

The H-19 Chickasaw holds the distinction of being the US Army's first true transport helicopter and, as such, played an important role in the initial formulation of Army doctrine regarding air mobility and the battlefield employment of troop-carrying helicopters. The H-19 underwent live service tests in the hands of the 6th Transportation Company, during the Korean War beginning in 1951 as an unarmed transport helicopter. Undergoing tests such as medical evacuation, tactical control and front-line cargo support, the helicopter succeeded admirably in surpassing the capabilities of the H-5 Dragonfly which had been used throughout the war by the Army.

Milestones-h19-070919-02-16

UH-19B at the Milestones of Flight Museum, Fox Field, Lancaster, California

SikorskyS-55C-GWWH

A Sikorsky S-55B in service with Golden West Helicopters, St. Albert, Alberta, 1985

S-55MidCanadaLine

Sikorsky UH-19 at the Canadian Museum of Flight 1988.The aircraft is painted as it would have looked while working on the construction of the Mid-Canada Line

Sikorsky UH-19B Chickasaw USAF

UH-19B, USAF Museum

HO4S HS-4 CVE-116 1954

A U.S. Navy HO4S of HS-4 taking off from USS Badoeng Strait in 1954

HRS-2 HMR-161 OpHaylift Feb1953

A USMC HRS-2 of HMR-161 in Korea, 1953

H-19 Royal Canadian Navy

An HO4S of the Royal Canadian Navy

H-19C US Army in Korea c1952

US H-19C in Korea.

The U.S. Air Force ordered 50 H-19A's for rescue duties in 1951. These aircraft were the primary rescue and medical evacuation helicopters for the USAF during the Korean War. The Air Force continued to use the H-19 through the 1960s, ultimately acquiring 270 of the H-19B model.[2]

France made aggressive use of helicopters in Algeria, both as troop transports and gunships, Piasecki/Vertol H-21 and Sud-built Sikorski H-34 helicopters rapidly displaced fixed-wing aircraft for the transport of paras and quick-reaction commando teams. In Indochina, a small number of Hiller H-23s and Sikorsky H-19s were available for casualty evacuation. In 1956, the French Air Force experimented with arming the H-19, then being superseded in service by the more capable Piasecki H-21 and Sikorsky H-34 helicopters. The H-19 was originally fitted with a 20-mm cannon, two rocket launchers, plus a 20-mm cannon, two 12.7-mm machine guns, and a 7.5-mm light machine gun firing from the cabin windows, but this load proved far too heavy, and even lightly armed H-19 gunships fitted with flexible machine guns for self-defense proved underpowered.

The H-19 was also used in the early days of the Vietnam War before being supplanted by the Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw, which was based on the H-19.

Variants[]

YH-19
Five early production S-55s for evaluation.
H-19A
USAF version of the YH-19 powered by a 600 hp, (472 kW) R-1340-57 engine, redeisgnated UH-19A in 1962, 50 built.
SH-19A
H-19As modified for air-sea rescue, redesignated HH-19A in 1962.
H-19B
H-19A with a more powerful 700 hp, (522 kW) R-1300-3 engine, redesignated UH-19B in 1962, 264 built.
SH-19B
H-19Bs modified for air-sea rescue, redesignated HH-19B in 1962.
H-19C
US Army version of the H-19A, redesignated UH-19C in 1962, 72 built.
H-19D
US Army version of the H-19B, redesignated UH-19D in 1962, 301 built.
HO4S-1
US Navy version of the H-19A, 10 built.
HO4S-2
Project for rescue version for the United States Coast Guard, not built.
HO4S-3
Re-engined US Navy & Canadian version with 700 hp, (522 kW) Wright R-1300 engine, redesignated UH-19F (American variant) H04S-3 (Canadian variant) in 1962, 79 built.
HO4S-3G
United States Coast Guard version of the HO4S-3, redesignated HH-19G in 1962, 30 built.
HRS-1
United States Marine Corps version of the HO4S for eight troops, 60 built.[3]
HRS-2
HRS-1 with equipment changes, 101 built.
HRS-3
HRS-2 with a 700 hp, (522 kW) R-1300-3 engine, became CH-19E in 1962, 105 built and conversions from HRS-2.
HRS-4
Project for HRS-3 with a 1,025 hp, (764 kW) R-1820 radial engine, not built.
UH-19A
H-19A redesignated in 1962.
HH-19A
SH-19A redesignated in 1962.
UH-19B
H-19B redesignated in 1962.
HH-19B
SH-19B redesignated in 1962.
CH-19E
HRS-3 redesignated in 1962.
UH-19F
HO4S-3 redesignated in 1962.
HH-19G
HO4S-3G redesignated in 1962
S-55
Commercial version with 600 hp, (472 kW) R-1340 engine.
S-55A
Commercial version with 800 hp, (596 kW) R-1300-3 engine.
S-55C
S-55A with a 600 hp, (472 kW) R-1340 engine.
S-55T
aircraft modified by Aviation Specialties and produced and marketed by Helitec with a 650 shp, (485 kW) Garrett AiResearch TPE-331-3U-303 turboshaft and updated equipment.
S-55QT
Commercial conversion. Ultra-quiet helicopter for sight-seeing flights over the Grand Canyon.
OHA-S-55 Heli-Camper
Commercial conversions carried out by Orlando Helicopters.
OHA-S-55 Nite-Writer
Commercial conversion. Aerial advertising helicopter, fitted with a 12.2-m x (40-ft x 8-ft) array of computer-controlled lights.
OHA-S-55 Bearcat
Commercial conversion. Agricultural helicopter.
OHA-S-55 Heavy Lift
Commercial conversion. Flying crane helicopter.
QS-55 Aggressors
Commercial conversion. S-55 helicopters converted into flying targets.
OHA-AT-55 Defender
Commercial conversion. Armed military helicopter.
Whirlwind HAR21
HRS-2 for Royal Navy, ten delivered.
Whirlwind HAS22
H04S-3 for Royal Navy, 15 delivered.

Later marks of Whirlwind were built under licence.

Operators[]

  • Flag of Argentina Argentina
  • Flag of Belgium (civil) Belgium
  • Canadian Red Ensign 1921-1957 Canada
  • Flag of Chile Chile
  • Flag of Cuba Cuba
  • Flag of Denmark Denmark
  • Flag of France France
  • Flag of Greece (1828-1978) Greece
  • Flag of Guatemala Guatemala
  • Flag of Haiti Haiti
  • Flag of Israel Israel
  • Flag of Italy Italy
  • Flag of Japan Japan
  • Flag of the Netherlands Netherlands
  • Flag of Norway Norway
  • Flag of Pakistan Pakistan
  • Flag of the Philippines Philippines
  • Flag of Portugal Portugal
  • Flag of South Vietnam South Vietnam
  • Flag of Spain (1945 - 1977) Spain
  • Flag of Thailand Thailand
  • Flag of Turkey Turkey
  • Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
  • Flag of the United States United States
  • Flag of Venezuela Venezuela

Aircraft on display[]

Specifications (H-19)[]

H19 showing engine

H-19 at National Museum of the United States Air Force, showing unusual mounting of engine

Milestones-h19-070919-03-16

UH-19B rotor head

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2 (pilot, copilot)
  • Capacity: 12 troops or 8 litters
  • Length: 62 ft 7 in (19.1 m)
  • Rotor diameter: 53 ft (16.16 m)
  • Height: 13 ft 4 in (4.07 m)
  • Disc area: ft² (m²)
  • Empty weight: 4,795 lb (2,177 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 7,200 lb (3,266 kg)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 7,900 lb (3,587 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340-57 radial engine, 600 hp (450 kW)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 101 mph (163 km/h)
  • Range: 405 mi (652 km)
  • Service ceiling: 10,500 ft (3,200 m)
  • Rate of climb: 700 ft/min (213 m/min)

Notable appearances in media[]

See also[]

References[]

  • Duke, R.A., Helicopter Operations in Algeria [Trans. French], Dept. of the Army (1959)
  • France, Operations Research Group, Report of the Operations Research Mission on H-21 Helicopter Dept. of the Army (1957)
  • Riley, David, French Helicopter Operations in Algeria, Marine Corps Gazette, February 1958, pp. 21–26.
  • Shrader, Charles R., The First Helicopter War: Logistics and Mobility in Algeria, 1954–1962, Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers (1999)
  • Spenser, Jay P., Whirlybirds: A History of the U.S. Helicopter Pioneers, Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press (1998)
  1. "Helicopter Gets Power Boost from Rockets." Popular Mechanics, November 1954, p. 94.
  2. Sikorsky UH-19B Chickasaw – National Museum of the USAF
  3. "Here Comes the Leathernecks!" Popular Mechanics, April 1952, p. 97.
  4. "Aircraft on Display"National Naval Aviation Museum Retrieved: 21 June 2012.
  5. "Factsheets: Sikorsky UH-19B Chickasaw"National Museum of the US Air Force Retrieved: 21 June 2012.
  6. "Sikorsky YH-19"Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Retrieved: 21 June 2012.
  7. "Pima Air Museum – Sikorsky Chickasaw". Pimaair.org. http://www.pimaair.org/collection-detail.php?cid=251. Retrieved 18 July 2012. 
  8. "Airplanes on Display"Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum Retrieved: 21 June 2012.
  9. "Helicopters | Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum | Wings & Waves Waterpark | McMinnville Oregon". Evergreenmuseum.org. http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/the-museum/aircraft-exhibits/helicopters/. Retrieved 5 July 2012. 
  10. "SVSM Gallery :: Sikorsky H-19A Choctaw, Evergreen Air Museum, McMinnville, Oregon, by Randy Ray :: DSC00011". Svsm.org. http://svsm.org/gallery/h19a/DSC00011. Retrieved 18 July 2012. 
  11. "Danmarks Flymuseum – Sikorsky S-55C". Flymuseum.dk. http://flymuseum.dk/fly?id=225:sikorsky-s-55c&catid=34. Retrieved 23 October 2012. 
  12. "Sikorsky H-19 D-4 Chickasaw"Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection Retrieved: 16 June 2013.

External links[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Sikorsky H-19 and the edit history here.
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