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H-53 Reference photos for 2020!!


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1 minute ago, JakubJakepilot said:

Nope, it was 24/02/1991 during Gulf war, found one pic of damaged plane with YR-05 MODEX. Later repaired. But no idea about the BuNo. Thanks !

Ah!  That helps.  I will keep looking.

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I was looking at the photos of the Marines minesweeper, convinced I'd seen a colour version of the first photo somewhere - which led me to dig out a ring binder of helo references, back from the days when I was short on space, and used to file pages or pictures cut from magazines...

....it turns out that the photo I was thinking of wasn't a Marines aircraft per se,  but a former one still in Field Green, but carrying Navy markings after being transferred to HM-12:

1074856410_o.jpg

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Andy,

 

Great photo. Looking at the photo it appears to be CH-53A/RH-53A, 154972(?)  No EAPS installed and -6B engines, short cowl over exhaust versus long cowl on the -413's.  Very cool pic, showing the green color with NAVY markings.  No tail code painted either, just the HM-12 under NAVY.

 

Also of note showing just how "new" the aircraft is, note the cockpit curtains are still installed.  These were installed by the factory, and did not last long in the fleet.  We pulled them out.

 

r/Gy

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54 minutes ago, YF65_CH53E said:

Andy,

 

Great photo. Looking at the photo it appears to be CH-53A/RH-53A, 154972(?)  No EAPS installed and -6B engines, short cowl over exhaust versus long cowl on the -413's.  Very cool pic, showing the green color with NAVY markings.  No tail code painted either, just the HM-12 under NAVY.

 

Also of note showing just how "new" the aircraft is, note the cockpit curtains are still installed.  These were installed by the factory, and did not last long in the fleet.  We pulled them out.

 

r/Gy

 

I think it's 154872 - if so, it eventually ended up going to Israel...

....pic cut from a magazine, no idea which one, but it was bottom left on 'page 238'!

 

41 minutes ago, YF65_CH53E said:

Here is the HM-14 Vanguard MH-53E full shot:

 

Some more general pics here:

https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photos/164861:896805:1.html

 

Rear view at NY Fleet Week 2016:

160526-N-UN744-082.JPG

The Navy football logo is partially visible on the sponson here:

1000w_q95.jpg

Whilst on the other side:

new-york5.jpg

Four more general views here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/99141812@N06/27650377785/in/photolist-J8npZt-J5j8qG-HckfqW-J8npBp-6X9M4b-6X9MrJ

 

And especially for you, Gunny:

160528-M-OC926-155.JPG

 

Edited by andyf117
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As mentioned in my post showing the green Navy bird, I've dug out a binder of loose references - the photo below appears in an article on Vietnam SAR from a late 1960's RAF 'Air Clues' flight safety magazine...

....incorrectly captioned as a HH-53B, like the Navy aircraft posted earlier it is clearly a former Marines CH-53A - just discernible either side of 'USAF' are freshly-painted areas where the 'Marines' title was:

1074901193_o.jpg

Incidentally, on the following page are a couple of photos of two leggy young off-duty aircraftswomen - back then, even Official publications had a 'pin-up' section!

Edited by andyf117
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10 hours ago, YF65_CH53E said:

Jakub 

 

this is the accident I referred to in my upper post. 
 

Teo engines back and the helo attempted a take off. 
 

Gy

Yeah, I know, this is additional picture 🙂 So now we have 4 pics of this accident.

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I wanted to add some info to the CH-53A/RH-53A information earlier in the post that Dutch and I were discussing.  Seems that USMC units were invovled with operation "End Sweep", specifically HMH-463, "Pegasus" off of the USS Inchon.

See below:

 

50826765447_30c7738325_m.jpg

 

From HMH-463 squadron lineage page:

 

"The HMH-463 crew of the first Airborne Mine CounterMeasures (AMCM) mission flown in Haiphong Harbor stands in front of YH-9 aboard the USS Inchon during Operation Endsweep.  From left to right are: Marine 1; 1stLt Steve Vaughn, Co-pilot; Cpl. John "Wojo" Wojtunecki (Crew/Chief of YH-9); Sgt R. D. Brookins, AMCM systems operator; and LtCol John Van Nortwick III, pilot (HMH-463's CO).  Included in this group is Sgt. Mitchell Troescher.."

 

50826687831_40a80ff5f7_n.jpg

 

Crew/Chief Cpl. John Lambert sits in the side hatch of his aircraft, the "Duces Wild" while aboard ship; the use of door art was just beginning at this time. John, a former lumberjack from Walla Walla, WA, crewed YH-12 which is setup for mine sweeping missions: note the rear-view mirror in the upright position on the nose of this CH-53.

 

50825943763_f637a1e37d_m.jpg

 

50826692956_a26bbb0a6e_m.jpg

 

50825971198_711582235c_z.jpg

 

More images of HMH-463, with CH-53D's or CH-53A's with -413 engines, configured for AMCM mission

 

50826718566_31c5f43544_z.jpg

 

50825970813_99fc7cfef8_z.jpg

 

50826815217_ae5098e04f_z.jpg

 

 

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Happy Fantastic Friday all!

 

So how about some Friday Fifty Three Fun!

 

Have you ever heard of the BH-53D?  This was a late 1960's secret Marine Corps project, it consisted of highly classified.......ok just kidding.  But, check out these pictures from a great website Pop-A-Smoke.  Showing a CH-53D cargo netting 55 gallon drums of napalm and then a shot of them releasing over the target area.

 

The nose art of the "Bombing 53's"

50839013887_b4b987ac4c_z.jpg

 

On the way to the target area

 

50839014007_964b651404_b.jpg

 

Bombs away

 

50838931331_88bb6c9146_c.jpg

 

Sorry this one is blurry

 

50839014562_c0aa709471_z.jpg

 

Picture of the Bomber Crew

 

50838933366_cbdb528f9e_z.jpg

 

More interesting references for the CH-53.

 

r/Gunny Dan

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Always available to help out a friend in need.  In this case a newly arrived CH-46 into SEA.  A CH-53D from HMH-362 "Ugly Angels" YL-17 externally this brand new "Phrog" up to Marble Mountain Air Facility, RVN.

 

50839008547_75ac1b671c_z.jpg

Edited by YF65_CH53E
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Not a good way to start off a weekend....actually this is not an "uncommon" occurrence, as the avionics "slip ring" that told the rotor head where to position itself for MRH folding, can be installed backwards without the maintenance guys knowing until they fold the airplane for a check out.

 

50838198538_303547cf1e_z.jpg

 

Some nice colorful 53's:

 

HMH-463 "Pegasus", also known as the "Pineapple Heads" as they are stationed at MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

50825970963_068387f76c_z.jpg

Their signature Rainbow on the tail.  Much Aloha....

 

A german CH-53G/GS painted over nicely for the UN missions, presumably in Iraq, freshly painted, as look how clean it is.  A CH-53 painted White?  Uffff dah, hand me the rags and simple green.......

50839012277_33a8ac53ba_b.jpg

 

Another colorful German 53

50797330046_edf0f45875_b.jpg

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, YF65_CH53E said:

HMH-463 "Pegasus", also known as the "Pineapple Heads" as they are stationed at MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii

50825970963_068387f76c_z.jpg

Their signature Rainbow on the tail.  Much Aloha....

 

Definitely an "Oooops" moment with the first one...

....do I spy minesweeping rig attached to the closest of the three Pineapple Heads? Interesting that it has no designator above the BuNo - identity crisis between it being a CH or an RH, perhaps?

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Andy,

 

Nice catch, yes the AMCM gantry equipment is installed on this HMH-463 aircraft.  It appears to be BuNo 157164, Sikorsky contract 65-290, struck off inventory in 2012.

 

But as you noted no type/model/series designator above the BuNo.  The other birds down the line it is there.  She could have been an RH-53A coming off the line, then during some time during its fleet usage, the CH/RH-53A was covered over by corrosion control or?  The Crewchief?  Interesting.

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10 hours ago, YF65_CH53E said:

Andy,

 

Nice catch, yes the AMCM gantry equipment is installed on this HMH-463 aircraft.  It appears to be BuNo 157164, Sikorsky contract 65-290, struck off inventory in 2012.

 

But as you noted no type/model/series designator above the BuNo.  The other birds down the line it is there.  She could have been an RH-53A coming off the line, then during some time during its fleet usage, the CH/RH-53A was covered over by corrosion control or?  The Crewchief?  Interesting.

From the flightline surface and markings, skyline, and aircraft line-up itself, I'd say the pic was taken at the same time as that showing the nose of '10' in your 'Endsweep' post above...

 

Came across this photo of a HM-12 RH-53A about to land on LPD-2 Vancouver at Subic Bay in mid-1973:

helo-landing-on-LPD-2-at-Alava-Pier-Subi

 

12-page article (plus front cover and frontspiece spread) on AMCM in this 'Naval Aviation News' pdf: https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/naval-aviation-history/naval-aviation-news/back-issues/1970/1979/august.html

Edited by andyf117
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On 1/8/2021 at 1:12 PM, YF65_CH53E said:

A couple of pics for today:

 

A HM-14, MH-53E with a beautiful paintjob.  Looking for a full pic of this aircraft

 

50796621248_048fa5185f_b.jpg

 

MH-53E colorful tail:

 

 

 

Don't recall seeing pics of Navy -53's with countermeasure dispensers before, i assume that's a recent mod?  Also, pretty unusual to have them loaded with flares in a setting with civilians, is it not?  Great pics as always, thanks for posting. 

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