Jump to content

H-53 Reference photos for 2020!!


Recommended Posts

14 hours ago, 757flyer said:

A trio of Ironhorse -53Es stopped by the local airport on Sunday.  One of them appeared to be in a new scheme I had not seen before.  It looked to be overall 35237 with black, or VERY dark gray, markings.  Like this:

 

CH-53E Tiger 01

 

It isn't as noticeable in this photo (not mine), but having the one sitting on the ramp next to the other two in the traditional multiple grays scheme, it was obvious that the overall gray on this one is clearly darker and more blue than the 36375 used on most of the airframe in the previous scheme.  Is this truly a new scheme the whole fleet will be transitioning to?  Are the markings actually black?

 

On a different note, like other flights of Echos that have stopped at our airport, these did not shut down, and did hot refuelings.  Army helos (Chinooks, Blackhawks, Lakotas and Apaches) always shut down to refuel.  Is there a technical reason to do hot refueling vs. shutting down, or is it just a cultural difference been the USMC and the Army?

 

 

 

757flyer,

 

That is a new type paint job that was done when that aircraft went into depot rework Evergreen Helicopters in Medford Oregon. Trying to help the fleet keep their 53Es cleaner with a more satin finish than the flat paint of the past.  As you may have guessed, our beloved  53 leaks a little......

 

Onto your next question. Typically when I was flyIng in the fleet, if we could keep turning to take on fuel while away from base we would. Shutting down, would sometimes cause us to have some sort of mechanical as we would turn back up, and not carrying a ton of extra parts, we would rather hot fuel than shut down.   This could bring up reliability issues with the CH-53E, and I understand that. Not that the Army helicopters are more reliable, but, being around CH-47’s and CH-53E’s the 53 is one complicated helicopter. (3) 3,000 psi hydraulic systems. (3) large turbo shaft engines, 7 MRB, a rotorhead and man gearbox bigger than a Volkswagen. Old electro hydraulic servos. 1980’s flight computers. Over $25,000 dollars a rotorhead hour in costs. She’s a beast. So once she’s “turnin & burnin” we tend to keep her up and running. 

 

So nothing between Army vs Marines, as far as a rivalry is concerned. Just our policy of keep ‘em flying. 

 

Gunny Dan

Link to post
Share on other sites

Gunny,

 

Many thanks for the info.  It definitely had a more satin sheen than the other two.  

 

I completely understand the desire to keep such a complicated machine running once you get it started.  Kind of like the C-5 - great machine once it got going, but they tended to break when they stopped (at least the pre-M birds).  And you're right, the -Echo is a beast!

 

Thanks again,

Mike

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

On a previous post, it was mentioned that late Vietnam War HH-53C’s had an IR countermeasures pod mounted.    Anyone have details on this system and / or some pics?    Only IR jammer I was aware of in that conflict was the AAQ-4 stuck on the tail of EB-66’s.   

Link to post
Share on other sites
17 hours ago, 11bee said:

On a previous post, it was mentioned that late Vietnam War HH-53C’s had an IR countermeasures pod mounted.    Anyone have details on this system and / or some pics?    Only IR jammer I was aware of in that conflict was the AAQ-4 stuck on the tail of EB-66’s.   

11Bee,

 

Earlier in this thread we were discussing some UK based HH-53C's with a peculiar jammer pod on the rear bat wings. in the 1980's and 90's. I am not aware of any HH-53C's in SEA having any IRCM equipment installed.  At least I have not seen any pictures of the gear installed.

Link to post
Share on other sites
5 hours ago, YF65_CH53E said:

11Bee,

 

Earlier in this thread we were discussing some UK based HH-53C's with a peculiar jammer pod on the rear bat wings. in the 1980's and 90's. I am not aware of any HH-53C's in SEA having any IRCM equipment installed.  At least I have not seen any pictures of the gear installed.

I think you mentioned it in your 2/11 post detailing the differences of the HH-53 versions.   

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...

Two new Gulf war pictures of CH-53Es emerged and I was also able to add the correct BuNos to my site 🙂

HMH-466 CH-53E BuNo. 161382/YK-51 - https://www.aviationphotocompany.com/p934046062/hc2992f5b#hc2992f5b

HMH-466 CH-53E BuNo. 161992/YK-55 - https://www.aviationphotocompany.com/p934046062/hc2992ef4#hc2992ef4

(btw, this is the same helo but a few months earlier - https://www.aviationphotocompany.com/p934046062/hc2992ef4#hc2992f02

Hope you enjoy it as much I did !!!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh, how I could have used this thread when I was building my Revell/Italeri CH-53E.  Still ashamed how "tall" the landing gear look on this one.  

 

CH-53E by Robert Leonard (Revell 1/72)

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

I'm a bit late to the party, Gunny Hammer. But, I have the BuNo of the HMX-1 CH-53A conducting the external lift of the Skyraider from the Annacostia/Bolling. I scanned that from a negative in my collection. I will shoot you the BuNo offline.

The Sikorsky archives folks may not have given you the full story on the white top-CH-53A.

When the White House Military Office was looking to replace the VH-3, Sikorsky proffered a roll-on/roll-off executive suite for use with the CH-53, and that particular helicopter was the demo bird. It flew around DC and Quantico to demonstrate the suite, which is why a LOT folks believe HMX-1 had VH-53s when they did not.

LTC Gene T. Boyer, the CO of HMX-1 and Mr Scowcroft flew a Marine CH-53A to the White house and determined the helicopter was not suitable for the mission; as you might imagine, the downwash damaged the gardens and a few other things.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi gents,

I already wrote to Pave Low site, but trying my luck here. I got 2 pictures from respraying MH-53J in Gulf. It is 66-14432, former HH-53B with struts. The pictures have probably a bit of wrong colors, as they were shot in the night.

I would like to know, if it is possible, that in 1990, MH-53J 66-14432, was still in SEA color. As the pictures shows it was resprayed in sand/brown color, BUT with light grey undersides (same as with other MH-53J not ex-HH-53B).

Pictures are from Mr. Rich Edmundson

Hope Gunny can shed some light on AF serials and their history...

P.S. I already sent email to Gunny on 22/03 but he did not responded yet ... probably just busy ...

 

Thanks in advance and best regards

 

 

 

66-14432_83868636_2689656291071301_6277371376307273728_o_Rich Edmundson_4432.jpg

66-14432_84068251_2689655274404736_6307134082329346048_o_Rich Edmundson_4432.jpg

66-14432_front_83776732_2689658824404381_5548500634308706304_n_Rich Edmundson_4432.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello JakePilot,

I'm actually working on a book about the Sikorsky H-53 helicopter. Unfortunately, it's been an ongoing project for the past 11-years because I was my late bride's Veteran Caregiver, but I am restarting the project as I adjust to being a widower, etc...; I worked with Gunny Hammer when he and I were both at Pax River; I was a flight test photog, and he was one of the aviation Marines there.

With that said, I have slides of most of the USAF Pave Low's, and there's a good historical brief of all the USAF H-53s on the Pave Cave website. See below:

https://pavelow.org/usaf-mh-53-history/mh-53j-m-tail-history/

 

I will check the slides when I return home from the part-time job later today.

Mike W

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 minutes ago, mikeavphoto said:

Hello JakePilot,

I'm actually working on a book about the Sikorsky H-53 helicopter. Unfortunately, it's been an ongoing project for the past 11-years because I was my late bride's Veteran Caregiver, but I am restarting the project as I adjust to being a widower, etc...; I worked with Gunny Hammer when he and I were both at Pax River; I was a flight test photog, and he was one of the aviation Marines there.

With that said, I have slides of most of the USAF Pave Low's, and there's a good historical brief of all the USAF H-53s on the Pave Cave website. See below:

https://pavelow.org/usaf-mh-53-history/mh-53j-m-tail-history/

 

I will check the slides when I return home from the part-time job later today.

Mike W

Hi Mike, BIG thanks. I check the tail history, but nothing on Gulf war. So anything is appreciated. Thanks !

Link to post
Share on other sites

Copy that.

 

If you haven't already read them, a former USAF OV-10 driver wrote two books that are of interest to USAF H-53s. The first is "Combat Search and Rescue in Desert Storm" and the second is "On a Steel Horse I Ride."

Both books provide a good history of the USAF H-53s, and both can be found in digital format on the USAF Historical Agency website.

 

https://media.defense.gov/2017/Apr/05/2001727299/-1/-1/0/B_0102_WHITCOMB_COMBAT_SEARCH_RESCUE.PDF

 

https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/AUPress/Books/B_0128_WHITCOMB_STEEL_HORSE.pdf

 

Mike W

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...

Hello Jakub,

I apologize for the lengthy delay. I got busy trying to finish up my late bride's estate and a few other family matters.

 

With that, I am still looking to answer your question. At the moment I found a slide of 66-14432 when it was assigned to the 1550 FTS as an HH-53B, and there are many MH-53 slides I have yet to ID.

 

I'm still working it.

Mike

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

Jake, I will take a stab at it.  I am pretty sure that all USAF MH-53H/Js were in Euro 1 by the time of the Gulf War (late 1990), whether they were based in Europe, the Pacific, or the US.  In your second photo with the port nose 3/4 view, you can't see any Dark Tan (FS32019) on the fuselage.  None.  You do see the two greens of the Euro One scheme.  Also, you can see plastic drop cloths underneath the entire airframe.  I appears that the underside has a fresh coat of Camouflage Grey (FS36622).  The general rule of painting multi color camouflage schemes is to work from the lightest color to the darkest color for coverage purposes and top to bottom for each color. HTH, Dutch  

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hey Dutch, thanks for the input. Which puzzles me is, that Euro I camo has 34092/34102/36118, right ? So, why to paint 36622 to underfuselage when all the pictures I have seen of 30140/20400 brown/tan birds have 30140 brown undersides ? One possible idea could be they tried 30140/20400/36622 during the first repaint of helos, but they found out the 36622 was not so effective and used 30140/20400 overall with 30140 undersides which is more strange, why they didnt use lighter 20400 instead ? .... and yes, that 36622 looks freshley sprayed.... still, more questions than answers 🙂

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...

Can someone ident this small box just below the port front window?

 

HH-53C_over_Vietnam_October_1972.jpg

 

The picture has a bigger resolution than showing here - just click on it.

 

The question arised over at Scalemodels.com

 

 

HAJO

 

Edited by Hajo L.
Link to post
Share on other sites

HAJO,

 

Clinstone is correct this attachment on the nose of this particular HH-53B/C is apart of the LNRS.  In 1968, eight HH-53 B/Cs received the first of several modifications, called Limited Night Recovery System (LNRS), which incorporated a low light TV and a hover coupler. The B-model was an A-model airframe, which Sikorsky separated into three sections to add supports (struts) for the auxiliary fuel tanks. The tanks were needed to increase the range of the HH-53 for CSAR duties in Vietnam.

 

Hope this helps!

 

r/Gunny

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 9/14/2021 at 4:00 PM, YF65_CH53E said:

HAJO,

 

Clinstone is correct this attachment on the nose of this particular HH-53B/C is apart of the LNRS.  In 1968, eight HH-53 B/Cs received the first of several modifications, called Limited Night Recovery System (LNRS), which incorporated a low light TV and a hover coupler. The B-model was an A-model airframe, which Sikorsky separated into three sections to add supports (struts) for the auxiliary fuel tanks. The tanks were needed to increase the range of the HH-53 for CSAR duties in Vietnam.

 

Hope this helps!

 

r/Gunny

Are there any pics out there of the full LNRS mod?   

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...