Sikorsky S-61 H-3
1959 · Twin-engine turbine helicopter
The Sikorsky S-61 is a twin-engined helicopter originally designed as an embarked anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft with the military designation of SH-3 Sea King. Was the first helicopter to combine the roles of Hunter and Killer in an unique airframe.
First flight was March 11, 1959 and has been built under license in Italy, Japan and in the United Kingdom.
Major civil versions are the S-61L and S-61N.
Specifications
| Engine | 2 x General Electric T58 |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 3 + 28 |
| Length (m) | 16.7 |
| Height (m) | 5.13 |
| Blades | 5 |
| Rotor diam. (m) | 19 |
| Weight (kgs) | Empty: 5380 Max: 10000 |
| Speed (km/h) | Max: 267 |
| Range (km) | 1000 |
| Ceiling (m) | 4480 |
| Rate/Climb (m/min) | 500 |
Derivatives & Versions
| HSS-2 Sea King | 1959 | Original S-61 version designed as an Anti-submarine warfare helicopter for the US Navy. |
| S-61B | 1961 | ASW version of SH-3A for export to Japan & Canada. |
| S-61L | 1961 | The S-61L first flew on 2 November 1961. |
| CH-124 Sea King | 1962 | Canada ordered 41 Sikorsky CHSS-2 ASW helicopters for the Royal Canadian Navy in 1960. |
| CH-3B | 1962 | The USAF ordered 12 Vertol 107/II (XCH-49) helicopters for Texas Tower and missile silo support in early 1962, but cancelled th contrac tin Sep 62 when it became clear that Vertol could not meet the stringent delivery schedule. |
| → S-61 | 1962 | Mitsubishi received a license to pruduce the Sikorsky civil S-61L/N & HSS-2 Sea King in 1961. |
| S-61A | 1962 | Sikorsky designed civil S-61A Payloader was a cargo transport version of S-61. |
| S-61N | 1962 | The S-61N made its first flight on 7 August 1962. |
| SH-3A Sea King | 1962 | Redesignation of the HSS-2 under the Oct. |
| VH-3A Sea King | 1962 | Redesignation of Sikorsky HSS-2Z Sea King executive transport under DoD Tri-Service integrated naming convetion, Oct 1962. |
| CH-3C | 1963 | The Sikorsky S-61R was a company funded development of their S-61/SH-3 Sea King model. |
| S-61R | 1963 | The Sikorsky S-61R was a company funded development of their S-61/SH-3 Sea King model. |
| S-61A-1 | 1964 | Royal Danish Air force SAR helicopter. |
| SH-3D Sea King | 1964 | Improved version of SH-3A ASW helicopter for the US Navy. |
| CH-3E | 1965 | USAF improved transport over CH-3C with additional fuel and uprated engines. |
| HH-3A Big Mother | 1965 | Search and rescue variant for the US Navy converted from SH-3A. |
| NH-3A | 1965 | Special test version of S-61F (SH-3A) with stub wings, 2x turbo jet engines, and revised fuselage shape for high speed trials. |
| RH-3A Sea King | 1965 | Minesweeper helicopter for the US Navy converted from HHS-2/SH-3A by substituting the anti-submarine equipment by a minesweeping gear. |
| S-61N Mk.II | 1965 | |
| S-61V | 1965 | |
| HH-3E Jolly Green Giant | 1966 | USAF CSAR version with uprated engines, armor plate, additional fuel tanks and rescue hoist. |
| → AS-61 | 1967 | The Agusta Sea King was built under licence in Italy from 1968. |
| S-61A-4 Nuri | 1967 | Sikorsky built 41 S-61A-4 transport helicopters for the Royal Malaysian Air Force in two batches from 1968-1978. |
| HH-3F Pelican | 1968 | This twin turbine, medium range, amphibious, all weather helicopter extended the Coast Guard offshore search and rescue capabilities. |
| S-61D-1 | 1968 | Royal Navy export version of SH-3D Sea King. |
| S-61D-2 | 1968 | AMI export version of SH-3D Sea King. |
| → Sea King | 1969 | The Admiralty was not satisfied with arrangements for British anti-submarine warfare in the mid 1960s. |
| S-61A-5 | 1970 | Improved SAR utility transport for RDAF based on S-61D. |
| S-61D-3 | 1970 | Brazilian Navy export version of SH-3D Sea King |
| SH-3G Sea King | 1970 | 105 US Navy HSS-2/SH-3A and SH-3D converted to the cargo and utility role |
| S-61D-4 | 1972 | Argentine Navy export version of SH-3D Sea King |
| SH-3H Sea King | 1974 | Conversion of 163 HSS-2/SH-3A and SH-3D airframes with improved ASW equipment suite including an AQS-81 MAD towed body fitted to the starboard sponson and dipping Sonar. |
| VH-3D Sea King | 1974 | The first version of the Sikorsky S-61 was flown in 1959 and was originally developed as the SH-3 Sea King: an antisubmarine sensor carrier for the US Navy. |
| UH-3H Sea King | 1990 | In the 1990s, as US Navy fleet HS squadrons began to field the SH-60F Seahawk, many SH-3H Sea Kings were stripped of their mission equipment, and became UH-3H utility helicopters. |
| Fire King | 2003 | Carson Helicopters modification of the S-61 with : Composite Main Rotor Blades 15 Passenger Interior Fire King 1,000 Gallon Fixed Belly Tank Goodrich Hoist (600 lb) Stokes Litter Rescue Basket Rescue Strop Rappel Anchor Rope Assisted Deployment Anchor (R. |
| S-61T Triton | 2010 | As of 2013, Sikorsky is refurbishing older S-61 aircraft for the US State Department. |