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149006
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1962 Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King C/N 61080Discuss this aircraft in forum |
by Ingo Warnecke
by Ingo Warnecke
by Ingo Warnecke
by Ingo Warnecke
| Manufacturer: | Sikorsky |
| Model: | SH-3H Sea King Search all Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King |
| Year built: | 1962 |
| Construction Number (C/N): | 61080 |
| Aircraft Type: | Rotorcraft |
| Number of Seats: | N/A |
| Number of Engines: | 2 |
| Engine Type: | Turbo-shaft |
| Engine Manufacturer and Model: | General Electric T58-GE-10 |
| Registration Number: | 149006 |
| Current Status: | Preserved as 162711 |
| Owner: | Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum |
| Address: | McMinnville, Oregon United States |
| CDR Tom Jacobs USN (ret), 2012-09-20 00:02:18 | |
| As a Chief Petty Officer, I was the crewman and hoist operator on this aircraft when we recovered Gemini Titan Seven (GT-7)astronauts CDR James Lovell and LCOL Frank Borman on 18 Dec 1965. CDR Norman Mclaughlin (C.O. of HS-11 was the pilot and Lt(jg) Jack Faro was the co-pilot. We were part of CVSG-52 embarked in the USS Wasp (CVS-18). The aircraft was then painted in the color of that era, which was very dark gray. The side no. was 56. HS-11 had the sides of the sponsons painted a dark blue with an angled red lightning bolt and two four pointed stars. The aircarft construction year was in 1962 as a SH-3A. She went through several updates, from A to H and she was finally converted from SH-3H to UH-3H in 2005. It is wonderful that the Evergreen Aviation Museum has taken on the resposibility of preserving old 149006 for posterity and it is very gratifying that each year thousand of visitors will see this aircraft. Since she is a historically significant aircraft it would be nice if the museum could restore her to the correct colors , correct buno & side number and correct squadron etc to match her appearance at the time of the GT-7 recovery.( She even had a small outline of the GT-7 Capsule painted on her sides near the cockpit windows.) The event is recorded in the Navy's archives as a significant event in naval history. It is too bad that this long flying aircraft (43 plus years) is not now properly identifiable by her markings as the GT-7 recovery helo. {Instead, she is paintedf white, her buno is not shown , she is identified as having belonged to the wrong squadron (HS-4) and her museum display has her mis- associated with the Appollo program.} The pilot, Capt Norman Mclaughlin, was relatively young CDR and squadron C.O. when we made that recovery with side # 56 some forty-seven years ago. He retired as a Captain and is now 88 years old. ( I was 29 then and am now in my 77th year.) Old 149006 brings back many memories and my association with her is one of thr high lights of my thirty-seven year navy carreer. I'm sure Captain Mclaughlin feels the same. Note: The GT-7 space capsule is on permanent display ay the Air and Space Museum, Wash. D.C. CDR Tom Jacobs USN (ret) | |