Mk. 46 on SH-60B's

[ESzczesniak]

I have a bunch of Kitty Hawk H-60's to build.  The first one I'm building is an SH-60B and want this one to be a true ASW configuration.  I want to have the Mk. 46 and MAD buoy loaded.  In searching for reference pics, it seems they're not loaded for ASW roles all that commonly in the last few years. 

 

I was wondering if anyone could help enlighten me on when it was most likely they'd be loaded for ASW and if any of the markings in the Kitty Hawk kit were more likely to have flown the ASW role.  The kit has markings for high visibility birds from HSL-41, HSL-43, HSL-45, and HS-51.  I've found a few of the HSL-51 bird in particular with the MAD buoy, but so far have not found any of these airframes with a torpedo.  Here's a link to the marking's sheet:

 

 

I need to pick a set of markings soon, as I need to commit to a couple of the different sensor options while I joint up the fuselage halves.  I'm liking the HSL-51 option the best, but hate when I found out after completing a build that the aircraft would have never appeared that way. 

 

EDIT: The closest I've found has been this picture:

 

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-061117-n-3136p-119-pacific-ocean-nov-17-2006-sailors-assigned-to-helicopter-130227257.html

 

...of an HSL-51 line bird being loaded with a Mk.46 on Kitty Hawk for training red shirts.  It's close, but I don't know if the hi-viz HSL-51 bird every deployed to the boat and I'd love to have it loaded more than just training on the deck.

Edited June 8, 2021 by ESzczesniak

[Chris D]

The Bravo deployed in detachments to surface ships, rather than as a full squadron to a carrier.  So the high viz squadron bird would deploy as part of the rotation.  But also as part of the fact that they deployed as detachments of one or two helos, that meant that they were the only aviation assets on the ship.  So they would perform every role required of a helicopter.

Things to understand, the Bravo was heavy, and wouldn't want to carry anything it didn't need to on a flight.  So even doing an ASW search it wouldn't typically carry a torpedo, since that would just shorten the search time.  Also, depending on what kind of deployment they were on, ASW would not be a typical mission.

 

All that being said, MAD was fitted and carried.  And torpedoes could be carried.  It wasn't common at all, but it wouldn't be wrong to have one on your helo.  Usually it would be a REXTORP (Recoverable EXercise TORPedo) for training purposes, but it wouldn't be wrong to have a live torpedo on there.  Carrying live torps were rare, and live torp drops even more rare, but the Bravo always had the ability to carry torpedoes so it would never be wrong to have one on your model.  Mk-46 REXTORPS could be most easily identified by a section of ballast weights just behind the exercise head, held on by a banding strap.  You'd have to do a few modifications to model a REXTORP from an warshot, but it wouldn't be a major project if you didn't want it to be.  Or just put a warshot on there and say that it was a special day.

 

You wouldn't be wrong to have MAD and a warshot Mk-46 on your Bravo.

 

Chris

[Winnie]

Im going to do the YSH-60B LAMPS bird. love that color scheme! 

 

Hoping to get an F as well, for the grey scheme

[PBoilermaker]

(deleted)

Edited March 17, 2023 by PBoilermaker
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