Sikorsky | |||
H-52 /
HU2S Seaguard
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HH-52A Photo: Robert Deering 9/3/2011 Museum of Flight King County International Airport (BFI) Seattle, Washington |
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The Sikorsky HH-52 Seaguard was a single turbine engine, three-blade rotor amphibious
helicopter.
Originally developed as a
commercial venture by the Sikorsky
Aircraft Corporation of
Stratford (S-62),
Connecticut, it was used by
the United
States Coast Guard primarily
for air-sea
rescue.
The HH-52 has been replaced
by non-amphibious types such
as the HH-65
Dolphin,
which rely solely on the use
of a winch from a low hover
to conduct rescue
operations. The
HH-52A used a boat hulled
shaped fuselage, smaller but
similar to the US Navy's SH-3 (Sikorsky
S-61) and was employed
aboard the larger Coast
Guard cutters and
icebreakers. The S-62 used a
single 1,250 hp (930 kW)
General Electric T58-GE-8B
turboshaft engine, a derated
version of the T58-GE-10
powerplant used on the
larger twin-engined SH-3;
and a 1,050 hp T58-GE-6
derated to 670 hp, moving
the same main and tail rotor
as S-55 Model, in the
prototype.
The turbine powered S-62
could carry more weight and
fly faster than the H-19
(S-55). The aircraft was
first conceived and designed
to be amphibious so that
flotation gear would not be
required for over water
flights, and rescues could
be made by landing on the
water. The fuselage is
watertight for landings on
water or snow. Two outrigger
floats resist pitching and
rolling on the water.
Although the HH-52A looks
very different from
the Sikorsky H-19, it used
many of the same components. |
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