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Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing...-46_Sea_Knight
The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is a medium-lift tandem-rotor transport helicopter powered by twin turboshaft aircraft engines designed by Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol following Vertol's acquisition by Boeing. Development of the Sea Knight, which was originally designated by the firm as the Vertol Model 107, commenced during 1956. It was envisioned as a successor to the first generation of rotorcraft, such as the H-21 "Flying Banana", that had been powered by piston engines; in its place, the V-107 made use of the emergent turboshaft engine. On 22 April 1958, the V-107 prototype performed its maiden flight. During June 1958, the U.S. Army awarded a contract for the construction of ten production-standard aircraft, designated as the YHC-1A, based on the V-107; this initial order was later cut down to three YHC-1As though. During 1961, the U.S. Marine Corps, who had been studying its requirements for a medium-lift, twin-turbine troop/cargo assault helicopter, selected Boeing Vertol's model 107M as the basis from which to manufacture a suitable rotorcraft to meet their needs. Known colloquially as the "Phrog" and formally as the "Sea Knight", it was operated across all U.S. Marine Corps' operational environments between its introduction during the Vietnam War and its frontline retirement during 2014. The Sea Knight was operated by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) to provide all-weather, day-or-night assault transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment until it was replaced by the MV-22 Osprey during the 2010s. Additional tasks that the type was used for in USMC service included combat support, search and rescue (SAR), support for forward refueling and rearming points, CASEVAC and Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP). The Sea Knight also functioned as the United States Navy's standard medium-lift utility helicopter prior to the type being phased out of service in favor of the MH-60S Knighthawk during the early 2000s. Several overseas operators acquired the rotorcraft as well. Canada operated the Sea Knight, designated as CH-113; the type was used predominantly in the search and rescue (SAR) role until 2004. Other export customers for the type included Japan, Sweden, and Saudi Arabia. The commercial version of the rotorcraft is the BV 107-II, commonly referred to simply as the "Vertol". Role Cargo helicopter National origin United States Manufacturer Vertol Aircraft Corp. Boeing Vertol First flight 22 April 1958 (V-107) Introduction 1964 Retired 2004 (United States Navy) 2015 (USMC) Status In limited service Primary users United States Marine Corps (historical) United States Navy (historical) Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (historical) United States State Department Produced 1962–1971 Number built H-46: 524 Developed into Boeing CH-47 Chinook Known colloquially as the "Phrog", the Sea Knight was used in all U.S. Marine operational environments between its introduction during the Vietnam War and its frontline retirement in 2014. The type's longevity and reputation for reliability led to mantras such as "phrogs phorever" and "never trust a helicopter under 30". CH-46s transported personnel, evacuated wounded, supplied forward arming and refueling points (FARP), performed vertical replenishment, search and rescue, recovered downed aircraft and crews and other tasks. During the Vietnam War, the CH-46 was one of the prime US troop transport helicopters in the theatre, slotting between the smaller Bell UH-1 Iroquois and larger Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion. During the 1972 Easter Offensive, Sea Knights saw heavy use to convey US and South Vietnamese ground forces to and around the front lines. CH-46 operations were plagued by major technical problems; the engines, being prone to foreign object damage (FOD) from debris being ingested when hovering close to the ground and subsequently suffering a compressor stall, had a lifespan as low as 85 flight hours; on 21 July 1966, all CH-46s were grounded until more efficient filters had been fitted. By the end of US military operations in Vietnam, over a hundred Sea Knights had been lost to enemy fire. CH-46E Sea Knights were also used by the U.S. Marine Corps during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In one incident on 1 April 2003, Marine CH-46Es and CH-53Es carried U.S. Army Rangers and Special Operations troops on an extraction mission for captured Army Private Jessica Lynch from an Iraqi hospital. During the subsequent occupation of Iraq and counter-insurgency operations, the CH-46E was heavily used in the CASEVAC role, being required to maintain 24/7 availability regardless of conditions. According to authors Williamson Murray and Robert H Scales, the Sea Knight displayed serious reliability and maintenance problems during its deployment to Iraq, as well as "limited lift capabilities". Following the loss of numerous US helicopters in the Iraqi theatre, the Marines opted to equip their CH-46s with more advanced anti-missile countermeasures. The U.S. Navy retired the type on 24 September 2004, replacing it with the MH-60S Seahawk; the Marine Corps maintained its fleet as the MV-22 Osprey was fielded. In March 2006 Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 263 (HMM-263) was deactivated and redesignated VMM-263 to serve as the first MV-22 squadron. The replacement process continued through the other medium helicopter squadrons into 2014. On 5 October 2014, the Sea Knight performed its final service flight with the U.S. Marine Corps at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. HMM-364 was the last squadron to use it outside the United States, landing it aboard the USS America (LHA-6) on her maiden transit. On 9 April 2015, the CH-46 was retired by the Marine Medium Helicopter Training Squadron 164, the last Marine Corps squadron to transition to the MV-22. The USMC retired the CH-46 on 1 August 2015 in a ceremony at the Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington DC. The HH-46E variant continued to operate in a Search and Rescue capacity at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The last flight of a Marine Corps H-46 took place on 25 September 2015 at MCAS Cherry Point and ended the 57-year Cherry Point Search and Rescue program. Specifications (CH-46E) General characteristics Crew: five: two pilots, one crew chief, one aerial gunner/observer, one tail gunner Capacity: ** 24 troops or 15 stretchers and two attendants or 5,000 lb (2,270 kg) Length: 44 ft 10 in fuselage (13.66 m Fuselage width: 7 ft 3 in (2.2 m)) Rotor diameter: 50 ft (15.24 m) Height: 16 ft 9 in (5.09 m) Disc area: 3,927 ft² (364.8 m²) Empty weight: 11,585 lb (5,255 kg) Loaded weight: 17,396 lb (7,891 kg) Max. takeoff weight: 24,300 lb (11,000 kg) Powerplant: 2 × General Electric T58-GE-16 turboshafts, 1,870 shp (1,400 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 166 mph (144 knots, 267 km/h) Range: 633 mi (550 nmi, 1,020 km) Ferry range: 690 mi (600 nmi, 1,110 km) Service ceiling: 17,000 ft (5,180 m) Rate of climb: 1,715 ft/min (8.71 m/s) Disc loading: 4.43 lb/ft² (21.6 kg/m²) Power/mass: 0.215 hp/lb (354 W/kg) Armament Guns: Two door-mounted GAU-15/A .50 BMG (12.7×99 mm) machine guns (optional), one ramp-mounted M240D 7.62×51 mm machine gun (optional) * |
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