  |
||||||
                        |
 |
USAF 53-4414 Power plant: 800 hp Wright R-1300 radial air-cooled Maximum speed: 112 mph Empty weight: 5,250 lbs. Maximum weight: 7,900 lbs. Rotor diameter: 53' Fuselage length: 42' 3" Overall height: 13' 4" The S-55 dates from 1949. The first S-55 in commercial use in the world went into service in British Columbia to build the Alcan project in Kitimat, where the building of power lines by helicopter was another first. This example was assembled from spare parts donated by MF Helicopters, Larry Skidmore, Deltaire, Delta Rotorcraft, Roy Willis, and others under a Job Creation project called "Heluvacopter". It has been restored to static display condition, and painted to represent one of the 15 RCAF S-55's used on the Mid Canada Radar Line. The Royal Canadian Navy also used 13 of this type on Search and Rescue and aircraft carrier plane guard duty. General Information The first transport helicopter to receive C.A.A. approval for commercial operation and enter scheduled passenger service, the S-55 carries seven passengers in commercial form and ten passengers as a military transport. Sikorsky manufactured a total of 1,281 S-55's in ten years of continuous production commencing in 1949. Three commercial models were built, the S-55 (600 hp R-1340), the S-55A (800 hp R-1300-3), and the S-55C (similarly powered to the S-55A but featured the S-55 inclined tailboom). The U.S. forces versions are the UH-19B (R-1300-3) of the USAF, the UH-19C (R-1340) and the UH 19D (R-1300-3) of the U.S. Army Field Forces, the CH-19E (R-1300-3) of the U.S. Marine Corps, the UH-19F (R-1300-3) of the U.S. Navy, and the HH-19G of the U.S. Coast Guard. There were also a number of British built derivatives of the basic design. Many of the S-55 airframes have been upgraded to turbine power in recent years, as a less expensive helicopter for agricultural, logging, etc. Photo: Museum archive | |
|||
