Two Sikorsky SH-3A Sea Kings doing the primary mission the aircraft was design to do - hunt submarines. All other missions - search and rescue, logistics, etc.. - were secondary to antisubmarine warfare (ASW). The cable descending from the aircraft in the foreground (Sikorsky HSS-2/SH-3A, BuNo 149917, msn 61-187 ) is the Bendix AQS-10 dipping sonar. This sonar was what cut the Sea King out of the pack of other airborne ASW aircraft, allowing the Sea King a direct connection to the underwater environment. With a very minimum of data processing, a Sea King crew could quickly acquire and attack an enemy submarine. These two Sea Kings were assigned to Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron FIVE (HS-5) - the Nightdippers, and based aboard the USS Lake Champlain (CVS-39). In 1964, around the time that this photo was taken, the U.S. Navy was employing the concept of the Antisubmarine Carrier Air Group (CVSG), where an entire carrier (the CVS) and the embarked air group was tasked with hunting subs. Most of these air groups were gone by the early 1970s. The tail code “AT” indicates that HS-5 was then assigned to Antisubmarine Carrier Air Group FIFTY-FOUR (CVSG-54), which was established in May 1960, and ultimately disestablished in July 1972. Photo: National Naval Aviation Museum
Model Designations
It should be mentioned that many airframes had more than one designation, although not always concurrently, as a rule. This could be as a result of a simple designation change, or a conversion or an upgrade to the airframe's specifications. For example, in September 1962, the HSS-2 became the SH-3A, with no changes to the airframe. another example, The installation of more powerful engines saw the CH-3C re-designated as CH-3E. Additionally, some models could be referred to by both a Sikorsky company designation and a military designation.
In general all models of the S-61/h-3, regardless of service or country, were referred to as Sea Kings. Notable exceptions were the U.S. Air Force HH-3E - known as the Jolly Green Giant, and the U.S. Coast Guard HH-3F - known as the Pelican. Of course, there is also the Malaysian S-61A-4 Nuri, the Westland-built Commando, and the civilian S-61N/L-based Payloader, amongst a few others.
Also, it should be noted that the following model designation list is not in any particular chronological order.
The Sea King was designed from the outset to be an amphibious helicopter, with the underside of the fuselage shaped as a boat hull, and two lateral stabilizing sponsons (which also housed the main landing gear), one on each side. Although for the most part, this capability was retained over the production of the helicopter it was soon operationally dispensed with due to extreme corrosion issues. That said, recognizing that water ops may be required in extreme situations, u.s. naval aviators flying the sea king were still regularly trained for these ops well into the 1990s. Although civilian sea kings also had amphibious capabilities, we have yet to find one instance were this capability was ever used in normal day-to-day operations.
As always, this is a work in progress, so come back often. Do you have a photo to share or story to tell, please drop us a line. we welcome your comments, additions and corrections - Thanks and Fly Safe.
Abbreviations:
ASW - antisubmarine warfare
BuNo - Bureau Number
csar - combat search and rescue
S/n - serial number
SAR - search and rescue
The Sikorsky Civilian Designations
note: while most of these designation denoted civilian models, there were a few military air arms that used the civilian designations.
S-61A: A civilian, twin-engine amphibious transport helicopter based directly on the hss-2/Sh-3a. offered to both civilian and military operators. Seats for 12 passengers, or configured for up to 15 litter patients.
S-61A-4
S-61B
S-61D:
S-61D-2: A single Sikorsky-built airframe delivered to Westland, as a model demonstrator and production example. Powered by GE turboshafts. This airframe carried both the civil registration of G-ATYU, and the British military serial number XV370.
S-61D-4: Essentially an SH-3D, but delivered to the Argentine Navy.
S-61F
S-61L: An all-weather commuter airliner.
S-61N
S-61N Mk II
S-61R: In house Sikorsky designation for the CH-3C and CH-3E.
Payloader
United States Navy and United States Marine Corps
YHSS-2: Ten pre-production airframes (buno 147137 through 147146) for the u.s. navy. There was no Hss prototype. later re-designated as YSH-3A. This was the airframe from which all subsequent models were based. Primary mission was ASW, although it was also optimized for sar, and due to its large fuselage, logistics and other utility missions. normal asw mission crew of four - two aviators and two sensor operators. powered by two general electric T58-ge-8 turboshaft engines.
HSS-2: production version of the yhss-2. soon re-designated as sh-3a.
HSS-2Z
HR3S-1: This was to be an HSS-2 variant optimized for combat assault. The designation HR3S-1 was assigned to the program, but no airframes were built. The project was ultimately awarded to the Boeing-Vertol HRB-1, later known as the CH-46A Sea Knight.
SH-3A: HSS-2 airframes re-designated in September 1962.
YSH-3D: A single airframe - BuNo 152139 - used as the production prototype for the SH-3D. powered by two 1,400 shp GE T58-GE-10, turboshafts, with an Increased full capacity and an improved mission avionics suite.
SH-3D: Production version.
SH-3G
SH-3H
YSH-3J
HH-3A
NH-3A
RH-3A
VH-3A
United States Air Force
CH-3A-SI: Three sh-3a (hss-2) airframes (s/n 62-12571, 62-12572, and 62-12573) transferred from the U.s. navy (buno 149009, 149011 and 149012, respectively) to the u.s. air force. assigned to the 551st base flight for missile test support duties. These three airframes were later re-designated as Ch-3b-si
CH-3B-SI: Three airframes (s/n 62-12574, 62-12575 and 62-12576) essentially the same as the ch-3a-si.
CH-3C-SI: A significant design change from the SH-3A airframe, including a redesigned tail - with a tail boom and a rear loading ramp, side stub wings vice the lateral sponsons. The stub wings housed the main landing gear, while the tail wheel was replaced with a nose wheel. In house Sikorsky designation for the CH-3C-si was S-61R.
JCH-3C-SI
CH-3E-SI
HH-3E-SI
United States Coast Guard
HH-3F Pelican
Canadian Military
CHSS-2
CH-124
The Westland Airframes
Originally built as a Sea King HAS Mk.1 - first flight on 8 March 1972 - this airframe eventually went back to Westland in 1987, and upgraded to HAS Mk.5 specifications, and then again in 2000, to be upgraded to HAS Mk.6 specifications. This long serving Sea King was finally retired in 2010, and placed in the collection at the Imperial War Museum (IWM). It is seen here at IWM Duxford in the colors of its last operational Royal Navy squadron - No. 814 Royal Air Squadron. Photo: A.A.S.
But, first a few british abbreviations: HAS - Helicopter AntiSubmarine warfare (ASW), HAR - Helicopter Search and Rescue, HC - Helicopter Cargo, AEW - Airborne Early Warning.
Note: There are a variety of ways to designate a british military aircraft, some using the “Mark” designation and others not - i.e. Sea king has mk.1 versus seaking has.1. For consistencies sake, we will use the “mark” method here.
Sea King HAS Mk.1
Sea King HAS Mk.2
Sea King HAS Mk.5
Sea King AEW mk.
Sea King HAR Mk.3
Sea King HC Mk.4
Commando Mk.1
Commando Mk.2
Westland Export Airframes
Note that while many of these airframes are based on standard British models, many were equipped with options specified by the individual customer.
Sea King Mk 41: Twenty-two aircraft delivered to the West German Navy, essentially a Sea King HAS Mk 1 airframe optimized for search and rescue. Did not include ASW equipment. Many were later upgraded with additional combat operability and survivability equipment.
Sea King Mk 42: Essentially a Sea King HAS Mk 1, but delivered to the Indian Navy. Primary mission was ASW.
Sea King Mk 42A: A new-build, upgraded Sea King Mk 42. New equipment consisted primarily of a haul-down system for small deck landings.
Sea King Mk 42B: Based on the upgraded Sea King HAS Mk 5, also for the Indian Navy.
Sea King Mk 43: Search and rescue version of the Sea King H
AS Mk 1 built for Norwegian Air Force.
Sea King Mk 43a: An upgraded version of the Sea King Mk 43. Sea King Mk 45: Essentially a Sea King HAS Mk 1, but delivered to Pakistani Navy. Primary mission was ASW.
Sea King Mk 47: Essentially an upgraded Sea King HAS Mk 1, but delivered to Pakistani Navy. Primary mission was ASW. These airframes were order by Saudi Arabian for, and delivered to, the Egyptian Navy.
Sea King Mk 48: Delivered to the Belgian Air Force, these airframes were basically upgraded Sea King HAS Mk 1 airframes, optimized for search and rescue, and without the ASW electronics suite. On was configured for VIP passenger transport.
Sea King Mk 50: Another aircraft based on an upgraded Sea King HAS Mk 1, these delivered to the Royal Australian Navy. Optimized for a variety of missions, including ASW, search and rescue, logistics, and troop lift. A long range, self ferry capability was standard.
Commando Mk 2: Seventeen airframes, under the standard Commando Mk 2 designation, delivered to the Egyptian Air Force. This order as paid for by Saudi Arabia.
Commando Mk 2B: Two VIP configured airframes delivered to the Egyptian Air Force. This order was paid for by Saudi Arabia.
Commando Mk 2A: Three standard Commando Mk 2 airframes delivered to the Qatar Emiri Air Force.
Commando Mk 2C: One VIP configured Commando Mk 2 airframe delivered to the Qatar Emiri Air Force.
A pair of Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King fly past the USS Wasp (CVS-18), on 9 May 1969, then underway in the Atlantic Ocean. Embarked aboard Wasp was Antisubmarine Carrier Air Group FIFTY-FOUR (CVSG-54), which included Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron FIVE (HS-5), and upwards of three fixed-wing Antisubmarine Squadrons (VS), which at this time flew the Grumman S-2 Tracker. Photo: U.S. Navy by Photographer’s Mate Second Class Stabe via the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command