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| UH-34 Seahorse
S-58 Seahorse |
During the Korean War, the U.S. Navy expanded its use of
helicopters in its antisubmarine warfare program. The
S-58
was designed for that mission. Introduced in 1954, it was
able to carry increasingly sophisticated sonar equipment.
The
Marines felt that they would be useful for transporting troops
from ship to shore and the corps soon had its own model,
designated the UH-34D. It was used mainly for assault missions.
The Army’s primary use for the S-58 was as a troop and supply
transport; the first Army CH-34 (S-58) flew in March
1955. In 1957 Sikorsky Aircraft developed an
armament system for the CH-34, which gave even greater combat
and strike capability to the helicopter. By 1958 the Army’s
CH-34s were on duty throughout the United States, Europe, and
Asia. Of all Sikorsky 5-58 models built in the first four years
of production, the Army versions had been the most widely used,
and had accumulated more than half of the total hours flown by
all S-58s.
In Vietnam, the important role of
the helicopter in war was well defined. S-58 missions included
armed assaults, troop transport, casualty evacuation, and
artillery spotting. In 1961 a Marine UH-34D was used in the
recovery of astronaut Alan Shepard following his splashdown in
Freedom 7. This event marked recovery. In all, more than five
hundred UH-34s were built for the Marines.
Many peacetime uses were also found for the
S-58. Both the Marines and the Army share responsibility for
manning the Executive Flight Detachment for transporting the
President and other high-ranking dignitaries. Beginning in the
1950s both services used VH-34s with customized interiors for
this responsible mission. Civil uses for the S-58 include
commercial passenger service, transportation of heavy equipment,
aid in construction projects, fire fighting, and rescue work. A
new lease on life has been given to military surplus H-34s by
replacing their engines with the more powerful turbo Twin-Pac
Pratt and Whitney PT6T-6 engine, thus extending he civil use of
existing S-58s. |
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UH-34 Seahorse
Standard Series. 1/48th scale. 14.25" rotor width x
12.5" long.
No. AHA4D-ST. Only $149.95 |
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