The Sikorsky S-65 is the western biggest helicopter and trace back to the 1962 US Marines Corps Heavy Helicopter Experimental (HHX) competition.
The twin engined S-65 was developed as a scaled-up version of the S-61 but with the dynamic system of the S-64 Skycrane.
First flew on October 14, 1964 and this massive helicopter did it's first loops and rolls on March 1968 by a test pilot of the USMC.
Although dimensionally similar, the much more powerful three engined Sikorsky S-80 entered service in 1981 with one more main blade rotor and tail making a 20° angle to offset the thrust required on the tail rotor to keep it straight.
First flew on October 14, 1964 and this massive helicopter did it's first loops and rolls on March 1968 by a test pilot of the USMC.
Although dimensionally similar, the much more powerful three engined Sikorsky S-80 entered service in 1981 with one more main blade rotor and tail making a 20° angle to offset the thrust required on the tail rotor to keep it straight.
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| Model | Year | History |
| YCH-53A | 1964 | The US Marine Corps contracted Sikorsky for four YCH-53A (S-65A) prototypes. Due to budget cuts and by mutual agreement, Sikorsky built only two ...  |
| CH-53A Sea Stallion | 1965 | Basic assault transport for the US Marine Corps with T64-GE-6 engines. 139 built, last 15 re-engined with two 3925 shp (2927 kW) T64-GE-413 engi ... |
| CH-53D Sea Stallion | 1967 | Improved assault transport for the US Marine Corps; 126 built with two 3925 shp (2927 kW) T64-GE-413 engines. Last flown by HMH-362 and retired in 2012 |
| HH-53B | 1967 | In 1966, the USAF awarded a contract to Sikorsky for development of a minimum-change CSAR variant of the CH-53A. It featured a retractable inlfi ... The HH-53B first flew from Stratford, CT on 15 March 1967. |
| HH-53C Super Jolly | 1967 | The HH-53C was a modestly-improved HH-53B CSAR variant. The most visible difference between the HH-53B and HH-53C was that the HH-53C dispensed w ... |
| CH-53C | 1968 | The US Air Force obtained 20 CH-53C machines for general transport work, Missile Site support, and aerial drone recovery. The CH-53C was apparent ... |
| S-65C-1 | 1968 | Two pattern aircraft for German Army (HEER) for the CH-53G programme to used for trials and homologations by Luftwaffe WTD61 |
| S-65C-2 | 1969 | Sikorsky created the S-65C-2 model for Austria. It is sometimes refered to as the S-65Oe. Two were built and delivered in Sep 1971 and were wit ... |
| S-65C-3 | 1969 | In 1968 Israel ordered (35) Sikorsky S-65C-3 (similar to USAF HH-53C) for CSAR and transport duties. Deliveries began in 1969 and were completed ... |
 VFW CH-53G | 1970 | Sikorsky provided two CH-53G to West German Heeeresgeflieger and a further 20 knock-down kits to VFW-Fokker for license production with VFW c/ns. ... |
| VH-53D | 1970 | Sikorsky produced two VH-53D as Executive Support transports for HMX-1. They can be configured to transport personnel or cargo. As such, they w ... Sikorsky painted two CH-53D as white top Executive Support transports for HMX-1 in addition to two other CH-53Ds in overall field green. Tests we ... |
| RH-53A | 1971 | 15 CH-53A reengined with two 3925 shp T64-GE-413 engines for the Airborne mine countermeasures (minesweeper) role for the US Navy. They were us ... |
| S-65-40 | 1971 | Planned civil airliner version of Sikorsky S-65 seating 42 passengers in airliner style (2-2) seats. None built. |
| RH-53D | 1972 | The RH-53D was the Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) variant of the Sikorsky S-65 configured for the detection, sweeping and neutralization o ... |
| S-80 H-53E | 1974 | Improved, 3 engined version of the S-65 (H-53) Sea Stallion. Primarily a heavy lift workhorse, the General Electric T64-GE-416 turboshaft engines ... The CH-53E first entered service with the USMC in 1981. In 2019 the fleet reached a major milestone by logging more than one million flight ... |
| HH-53H | 1979 | Eight USAF H-65B/C upgraded by the Pave Low II program for the Combat Search and Rescue role. Later redesignated MH-53H |
| MH-53J | 1980 | Further USAF H-65B/C/H upgraded by the Pave Low III program |
| TH-53A | 1989 | USAF S-65 trainer version converted from former USMC aircraft |
| MH-53M Pave Low IV | 1998 | USAF MH-53J upgraded by the Pave Low IV program. Introduced in 1998, aircraft received the IDAS/MATT (Interactive Defensive Avionics System/Multi ... |