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H-53 Reference photos for 2020!!


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On 9/17/2021 at 4:57 PM, 11bee said:

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

11Bee,

 

I will look into the archive, I may have a couple of shots of it from my Sikorsky buddy.

 

r/Gunny

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi, resurrecting this thread a bit. Got a great picture from my friend, he got it off FB.

CH-53D/YL-40, BuNo. not known, from HMH-362 "Ugly Angels". Two i nterestning things. AN/APR47 RWR, and, the most interestning, IR jammers on sponsons !!!

Btw, I checked all my Gulf pics of CH-53D/Es and only 3 or 4 had the AN/APR47 RWRs installed, so it was pretty rare. And that IR jammer ? WOW. was it same as on MH-53Js ?

243315855_10220945510410824_5419756008992246500_n.jpg

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1 minute ago, Clinstone said:

I believe the sensors you’re referencing are AAR-47s, not APR-47s. The AAR-47s are missile warning sensors, not RWR. The RWR sensors are the black dots on the nose and look like APR-39s.

Sorry, yes, I meant AAR-47, typo.

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  • 1 month later...
On 9/18/2021 at 12:57 AM, 11bee said:

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

Whilst researching possible USAF subjects to suggest to Kursad, I stumbled across these:

HH-53-after-rescue.jpg

I'm not sure, but I think this may be an associated part of the system - a camera(?) mounted on the hoist frame:

Locher-arrives.jpg

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14 hours ago, andyf117 said:

Whilst researching possible USAF subjects to suggest to Kursad, I stumbled across these:

HH-53-after-rescue.jpg

I'm not sure, but I think this may be an associated part of the system - a camera(?) mounted on the hoist frame:

Locher-arrives.jpg

Great pictures Andy.   I also noted that it appears that this HH-53 has RHAW sensors on the nose, which was a late-war retrofit.   Also, what's that bar directly aft of the open door?  Never seen that on other HH-53's. 

Edited by 11bee
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32 minutes ago, 11bee said:

....Also, what's that bar directly aft of the open door?  Never seen that on other HH-53's. 

Your guess is as good as mine on that - I've not seen it before either...

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2 hours ago, 11bee said:

Great pictures Andy.   I also noted that it appears that this HH-53 has RHAW sensors on the nose, which was a late-war retrofit.   Also, what's that bar directly aft of the open door?  Never seen that on other HH-53's. 

Yes, and in the first photo, there is that strange trapezoidal shape just below the the pilot's lower window. I think we determined from the previous discussion that it is some sort of camera as well.

 

I remember a National Geographic feature article from the late 1960s about the Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Service, with a large focus on Vietnam.  It had downward looking photos of the jungle penetrator and cable being wiched up with the downed pilot.  Perhaps the camera above the door is part of the NG article or it could be a standard fit for USAF documentary purposes.  I am travelling right now, but will find it in a few days when I return home.

 

K/r,

Dutch

 

Edited by Dutch
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There is everything on the internet, you only need to know how to find it 🙂 This time, another new picture of Gulf war CH-53E BuNo. 161390 🙂 enjoy !!

http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Watchf-AP-I-SAU-APHS389385-Ist-Gulf-War-in-Saud-/15c09526427a429987e77eedc34ac2c3/172/0

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  • 3 weeks later...

Found another shot of a HH-53C fitted with the LNRS, taken from a different angle, showing both the lower port nose unit and the smaller cylindrical item on the hoist frame - and a protrusion on the lower starboard nose, which, looking back, is also visible in the previous pic:

53CLNRS.thumb.jpg.527996e13db9b73eeebcc525067609d6.jpg

Note the lack of intake filters - can't be certain, but that and the large silver/grey fuel tank might make it the same aircraft as seen in this well-known shot:

37th_ARRSq_Revetments,_DaNang,_RVN_1970-

Edited by andyf117
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I have scanned the NG article about the ARRS circa Sept 1968.  It is 24 pages. Too large to post here. I will forward upon request.  My assumption that the boxes were cameras is incorrect.  They are in fact the LNRS as others have pointed out.  They were not in place for the NG article circa 1967-68.

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Looking for a pic of another version, I came across this one in World Air Power Journal Vol 33:

961581759_USMCMH-53E.thumb.jpg.24e4b3d08997a576805ae4d41be0a69b.jpg

A MH-53E carrying Marines titles?

I initially thought maybe another MAWTS-1 bird, like those discussed over in the Caracal section - but from the 'U' visible on the pylon, possibly assigned to HMT-302, tailcode 'UT', with a variation of the squadron's Phoenix on the avionics panel? Over to you, Gunny Dan!

Edited by andyf117
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Hello Andyf117,

I have that particular issue and the caption is wrong for that image, i.e., the Marines do not fly the MCM mission, nor do they have the MH-53E. With that said, I had contacted the author about that specific image, but I never received a response.

Attached is a unique RH-53D from HMH-769 who played red air for MAWTS-1. The big red star was added to the four helicopters just before they departed for Yuma. I have interesting stories from the squadron CO and OPsO about those MAWTS-1 detachments for my book project.

HMH-769 RH-53D_158748 (28 Oct1993) email.jpg

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2 hours ago, mikeavphoto said:

Hello Andyf117,

I have that particular issue and the caption is wrong for that image, i.e., the Marines do not fly the MCM mission, nor do they have the MH-53E. With that said, I had contacted the author about that specific image, but I never received a response.

Attached is a unique RH-53D from HMH-769 who played red air for MAWTS-1. The big red star was added to the four helicopters just before they departed for Yuma. I have interesting stories from the squadron CO and OPsO about those MAWTS-1 detachments for my book project.

I've linked your post to the thread by @KursadA over in the Caracal forum where the two RH-53Ds from WTI 2-95 were discussed for inclusion on a forthcoming sheet:

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/312598-cd48184-148-ch-53/

Edited by andyf117
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Copy that, AndyF117.

Heavy lift Helicopters was supposed to acquire six CH-53Ds from AMARC, however managed to get just two before the government closed the door. The company spent millions of dollars developing the firefighting gear to be used for their 'Fire Stallions' then went out of business before anything could be done. 

Those two helicopters were bought by Helicopter Transport Services in Oregon and their intention was to use both helicopters for firefighting and heavy lift work. A few years ago, HTS was trying to make one of the two helicopters airworthy, but gave up. Both registrations were retired last year I believe.

HTS has not returned any of my phone calls or emails regarding the disposition of those helicopters.

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17 hours ago, mikeavphoto said:

Hello Andyf117,

I have that particular issue and the caption is wrong for that image, i.e., the Marines do not fly the MCM mission, nor do they have the MH-53E. With that said, I had contacted the author about that specific image, but I never received a response.

Attached is a unique RH-53D from HMH-769 who played red air for MAWTS-1. The big red star was added to the four helicopters just before they departed for Yuma. I have interesting stories from the squadron CO and OPsO about those MAWTS-1 detachments for my book project.

 

Hello Mike,

Any interesting story about this helo - similar to what happened at vf-45 when an admiral demanded the red star to be removed from the vertical stabilisers?

Edited by SERNAK
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Mike, Andy,

 

Indeed when HMT-302 Tail code UT transitioned to New River North Carolina from then closing Santa Ana CA, MCAS Tustin.  The Navy and Marines tried to put all of the RAG CH-53 students through one command to save flight hours and costs.  So YES, there were Navy MH-53E's that were in dark gull gray with light ghost gray USMC markings, specifically those of HMT-302, with tail code UT as I said earlier.  They spent a few years together as a Blue/Green training command, then they transitioned back the MH-53E training to Norfolk. Along with all of the AMCM missions and school house training for that.  The Navy Pilots and Crews were trained by Navy instructor Pilots and Navy enlisted aircrew instructors.  The basic aircrew and maintenance course were taught by both USN/USMC during this time.

 

There is a very large Face Book page dedicated to those who served in HMT-302, now redesignated HMHT-302, and there are plenty of MH-53E's on there with Marine markings.  A lot of wasted paint and maintenance time if you ask me, but hey.....make a good model and decals....Jus Sayin!!

 

Semper Fly

Gunny Dan

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I knew that you'd know, Dan! :thumbsup:

 

I now present today's anomaly - after the lunchtime TV news had finished, I was idly re-watching this video on YouTube:

Air Force 6594th Test Group HH53 Flying - YouTube

At almost three minutes in, during engines and rotors start-up, I was actually thinking how the seat back frames with their rounded corners looked just like Sea King ones, and were unlike the squared-off type in the Airfix kits, when I spotted something which I hadn't noticed before:

6594thscreengrab.thumb.png.3008343b12e8aad7c57aac6a7a5d6475.png

An HH-53C main rotor blade with trailing edge tab and angled tip? In 1986 - which is the date given for the video - HH-53H Pave Lows were still being delivered out of NADEP Pensacola with metal blades, and as far as I'm aware, no 'standard' H-53s were ever retro-fitted with composite blades, apart from TH-53A trainers...

....one possible explanation is that the composite blades - prescribed in late 1985 to be part of the MH-53J upgrade - had to be flight-tested, but would that have taken place using a Hickam-based aircraft primarily used for satellite capsule recovery? 

 

 

Edited by andyf117
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  • 2 weeks later...
2 hours ago, JakubJakepilot said:

Hi, I am not sure if it was here before or not, but I found some pics of BuNo. 156964 HMH-362 from 1991 with what appears to be some kind of exhaust mufflers. Any idea what is that ? History, usage etc.  Thanks !

I posted a couple of pics on Page 1 of one with the same fit, taken on the NADEP Pensacola flightline back in 1989...

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Continuing with the H-53 research, I stumbled across pics in which airframes has/has not various antennas. Any idea how to decipher which antenna is which and why they were in such different configs ? Drawings are taken from Academy 1:48 CH-53E instructions.849971322_CH-53Eantennas.thumb.JPG.5165a750d6979e9deb754238117eefee.JPG

1143867407_CH-53Eantennas_2.thumb.JPG.30c21b3bae3e31b269dc8c3eb6d312d5.JPG2085746917_CH-53Eantennas_3.thumb.JPG.62a95368c32f2c4c9115dfd9e321ea5e.JPG
1 - SATCOM ? (post-Gulf mod ?)
2 - ?
3 - ? (not every airframe ?)(on some MH-53Es)
4 - ? (not visible on many pics)
5 - ? (not visible on many pics)
6 - ? (on some MH-53Es)
7 - ?
8 - ?
9 - LORAN ? (not every airframe ?)(on some MH-53Es)
10 - ?
11 - ?
12 - ?
13 - ?
14 - ?

 

I am not pointing out RWRs or MAWS or chaff/flare launchers, as I guess all airframes in Gulf had RWRs and only a few had MAWS and some had chaff/flare...

Thanks and happy modelling !!

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