Loach Driver Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 (edited) Here is a link to a thread over on Britmodeller. It has some good photos of a colourful HH-53C that is crying out to be built. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32407 I hope this is of interest. LD. Edited June 18, 2009 by Loach Driver Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Avus Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Very interesting! Thanks for the heads up. So many interesting subjects and just one life ... gotta find me that fountain of eternal youth! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chriswfo Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I think that was one of the Hickam 53's. The falling star marking on the tail makes sense then. Plus it looks like there is some unusual equipment when you look in the side door. I never saw the winch setup they had in these 53's but I'm guessing that part of it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EDWMatt Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I think that was one of the Hickam 53's. The falling star marking on the tail makes sense then. Plus it looks like there is some unusual equipment when you look in the side door. I never saw the winch setup they had in these 53's but I'm guessing that part of it. Yup, that's a 6594th Test Group '53C from Hickam. They used a trapeze assembly, developed by All American Engineering (the same company that developed the spray system for the Army HISS Chinook icing tanker), that deployed out the rear ramp to catch film capsules ejected from KH-9 recon satellites, hence the falling star logo. Also used JC-130's for the mission. We used one of their JC-130's as a tanker to test the initial Chinook air-to-air refueling installation. The also did air rescue work. They had a very sad loss in 1985 when one of their '53's shed a rotor blade in a hover while trying to conduct a rescue op on a freighter in distress. I'm working on a 6594th '53 in 1/144 from the RofG kit and want to eventually do one in 1/48th. Superscale made a sheet in both 1/72 and 1/48th for this scheme, unfortunately, it was for one of the '53's that didn't carry the star. Thanks for the linky, Loach Driver! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gmat Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 My photos, glad you enjoyed them. Taken at the Hickam Open House, around 86. The project to modify the HH-53C was called Crested Rooster. WRMA modified 6 HH-53Cs for the use in the recovery of unmanned space hardware within an eight hundred nautical mile radius of Hickam AFB, Hawaii. They, along with three HC-130Ps, replaced two converted Liberty ships and six CH-3Bs operated on them. The modifications to the HH-53Cs consisted of a heavy duty crane, two additional fuel tanks, a passenger comfort cubicle, and a scuba equipment storage area. Project completed in 1974. From WRMA history. If you wish, I can repost the photos here. Best wishes, Grant Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Wow! thank you gmat never even knew USAF 53s used those colors Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BrittMac Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 My photos, glad you enjoyed them. Taken at the Hickam Open House, around 86. The project to modify the HH-53C was called Crested Rooster. WRMA modified 6 HH-53Cs for the use in the recovery of unmanned space hardware within an eight hundred nautical mile radius of Hickam AFB, Hawaii. They, along with three HC-130Ps, replaced two converted Liberty ships and six CH-3Bs operated on them. The modifications to the HH-53Cs consisted of a heavy duty crane, two additional fuel tanks, a passenger comfort cubicle, and a scuba equipment storage area. Project completed in 1974. From WRMA history. If you wish, I can repost the photos here. Best wishes, Grant That is very very interesting stuff Grant. If you don't mind me asking, what exactly was the passenger comfort cubicle? Almost sounds VIP-ish. Was this something for techs to ride in? If you want to repost the photos, I am sure no one here would mind. Even if you don't, thank you for the photos you took, they are great to look at, if just to learn some great history. Brandon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gmat Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Brandon, Sorry, the article didn't elaborate. Perhaps someone who flew in them might know. Considering the distance, and time spent flying, I would hazard a guess that it could be crew rest bunks or perhaps a heating facility for PJs, to warm them after having spent time immersed in the ocean recovering the capsule. Possibly a chemical toilet might have been added. I have no idea what the inside looked like. I didn't have a look inside the one that I took pictures of. Here are the photos. Best wishes, Grant Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gmat Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) More. Grant Edited June 21, 2009 by gmat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gmat Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Some more. Rescue HH-53s had the hoist. Best wishes, Grant Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gmat Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Last four, Sorry, I don't have any new ones to add. Best wishes, Grant Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TaiidanTomcat Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Don't apologize! unbelievable amount of great pics there! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pavelow44 Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 369......"The Love Machine" all pretty in bright colors. I love these pictures. Thank you for sharing them! Guess I have to build another -53C now........ Cheers and thanks again! Matt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chriswfo Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 Yup, that's a 6594th Test Group '53C from Hickam. They used a trapeze assembly, developed by All American Engineering (the same company that developed the spray system for the Army HISS Chinook icing tanker), that deployed out the rear ramp to catch film capsules ejected from KH-9 recon satellites, hence the falling star logo. Also used JC-130's for the mission. We used one of their JC-130's as a tanker to test the initial Chinook air-to-air refueling installation. The also did air rescue work. They had a very sad loss in 1985 when one of their '53's shed a rotor blade in a hover while trying to conduct a rescue op on a freighter in distress.I'm working on a 6594th '53 in 1/144 from the RofG kit and want to eventually do one in 1/48th. Superscale made a sheet in both 1/72 and 1/48th for this scheme, unfortunately, it was for one of the '53's that didn't carry the star. Thanks for the linky, Loach Driver! I was flying on 53 at Woodbridege when they lost the bird out of Hickham, had us all grounded for a while. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted June 22, 2009 Share Posted June 22, 2009 Grant, you da man! I can't thank you enough for posting those! You have no idea how long I've looked for pics of those very helos :) J Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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