Sikorsky H-34

The Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw (company designation S-58) is a piston-engined military helicopter that was originally designed by American aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky for the United States Navy for service in the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role. It has seen extended use when adapted to turbine power by the British licensee as the Westland Wessex and Sikorsky as the later S-58T.

Various H-34s served, mostly as medium transports, on every continent with the armed forces of twenty-five countries — from combat in Algeria, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and throughout Southeast Asia, in roles such as saving flood victims, recovering astronauts, fighting fires, and carrying presidents. As one of the last piston-powered helicopter designs before its replacement by turbine-powered types such as the UH-1 Huey and CH-46 Sea Knight, it would see a remarkably long run of 2,108 H-34s produced between 1953 and 1970.^[1]

Development

The Sikorsky S-58 was developed as a lengthened and more powerful version of the Sikorsky (model S-55) or UH-19 Chickasaw, with a similar nose, but with a tail-dragger rear fuselage and landing gear, rather than the high-tail, 4-post pattern. It retained the nose-mounted piston engine with the drive shaft passing through the cockpit placed high above the cargo compartment.

The aircraft first flew on 8 March 1954. The first production aircraft was ready in September and entered in service for the United States Navy initially designated HSS-1 Seabat (in its anti-submarine configuration) and HUS-1 Seahorse (in its utility transport configuration) under the U.S. Navy designation system for U.S. Navy, United States Marine Corps (USMC) and United States Coast Guard (USCG) aircraft. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps, respectively, ordered it in 1955 and 1957. Under the United States Army's aircraft designation system, also used by the United States Air Force, the helicopter was designated H-34. The U.S. Army also applied the name Choctaw to the helicopter. In 1962, under the new unified DoD aircraft designation system, the Seabat was redesignated SH-34, the Seahorse as the UH-34, and the Choctaw as the CH-34.

Roles included utility transport, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and VIP transport. In it standard configuration transport versions could carry 12 to 16 troops, or eight stretcher cases if utilized in the MedEvac role, while VIP transports carried significantly fewer people in significantly greater comfort.

A total of 135 H-34s were built in the U.S. and assembled by Sud-Aviation in France, 166 were produced under licence in France by Sud-Aviation for the French Air Force, Navy and Army Aviation (ALAT).

The CH-34 was also built and developed under license from 1958 in the United Kingdom by Westland Aircraft as the turbine engined Wessex which was used by the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The RN Wessex was fitted out with weapons and ASW equipment for use in an antisubmarine role. The RAF used the Wessex, with turboshaft engines, as an air/sea rescue helicopter and as troop transporter. Wessexes were also exported to other countries and produced for civilian use.

Operational history

Vietnam War

French evaluations on the reported ground fire vulnerabilities of the CH-34 may have influenced the U.S. Army's decision to deploy the CH-21 Shawnee to Vietnam instead of the CH-34, pending the introduction into widespread service of the Bell UH-1 Iroquois. U.S. Army H-34s did not participate in Vietnam, and did not fly in the assault helicopter role, however a quantity were supplied to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. These saw little use due to a lack of spare parts and maintenance.^[2]

Its higher availability and reliability due to its simplicity compared to the newer helicopters led Marines to ask for it by name. The phrases "give me a HUS", "get me a HUS" and "cut me a HUS" entered the U.S. Marine Corps vernacular, being used even after the type was no longer in use to mean "help me out".^[3]

USMC H-34s were also among the first gunship helicopters trialled in theatre, being fitted with the Temporary Kit-1 (TK-1), comprising two M60C machine guns and two 19-shot 2.75 inch rocket pods. The operations were met with mixed enthusiasm, and the armed H-34s, known as "Stingers" were quickly phased out. The TK-1 kit would form the basis of the TK-2 kit used on the UH-1E helicopters of the USMC.

Post-Vietnam War

The H-34 remained in service with United States Army and Marine Corps aviation units well into the late 1960s, and was standard equipment in Marine Corps Reserve, Army Reserve and Army National Guard aviation units until replaced by the UH-1 Iroquois utility helicopter. Sikorsky production ceased in 1968, with 1,821 built.^[4] On 3 September 1973, the last flight of a USMC UH-34 occurred as Bureau Number 147191 was flown to MCAS New River.^[5] All H-34 helicopters were retired from service in the U.S. military by the early 1970s.

France

France bought 134 Choctaws in parts from the United States and assembled by Sud-Aviation. A further 166 were manufactured later locally for the French Army, Navy and Air force, these again produced by Sud-Aviation.^[6]

United Kingdom

South Vietnam

The H-34 was the primary VNAF helicopter until replaced by the Bell UH-1 Huey.^[7]

Israel

The S-58 flew combat missions after the end of the Six Days War, mainly against Palestinians infiltrating Israel or against their bases in Jordan. On 21 March 1968, they participated in the Battle of Karameh, bringing Israeli troops in and out as well as evacuating the wounded. This was the last operation of the S-58 as it was retired shortly later, replaced by the Bell 205 and Aérospatiale Super Frelon.^[8]

Civilian use

• The H-34's lift capacity was just sufficient to lift a Mercury space capsule. In 1961, the hatch of Mercury-Redstone 4 was prematurely detached and the capsule was filled with seawater. The extra weight was too much for the H-34 and the capsule, Liberty Bell 7, was emergency released and sank in deep water.^[9]
• In the 1990s, an S-58ET called Miss Piggy from "New York Helicopter" flew passengers from JFK International Airport to East 34th Street Heliport, New York.^[10]
• H-34 have been used by forest firefighting contractors in Ontario.
• At least one S-58 was purchased for civilian use by Oregon-based Columbia Helicopters in the 1960s.^[11]
• In 1968, an S-58 was used to remove the wreckage of a Bell 47 G2 helicopter from the top of Uluru (Ayers Rock) in central Australia.
• The 1980s television series Riptide featured an S-58T called "The Screaming Mimi".^[12] The special turbine engine cowling, together with a "face" paint scheme was used to good effect.

Variants

H-34A

U.S. Army version of the HSS-1 powered by a 1,525 hp R-1820-84, re-designated CH-34A in 1962, 359 built and 21 transferred from the U.S. Navy.

JH-34A

Designation for H-34A used for weapon tests.

VH-34A

Staff transport conversions of H-34A.

H-34B

H-34As converted with detail changes, became CH-34B in 1962.

H-34C

H-34B design with detail changes converted from H-34As, became CH-34C in 1962.

JH-34C

Designation for CH-34C used for weapon tests.

VH-34C

Staff transport conversions of CH-34C.

HH-34D

Designation applied to aircraft given USAF serials to be transferred under MAP and MDAP.

LH-34D

HUS-1L re-designated in 1962

UH-34D

HUS-1 re-designated in 1962 and 54 new build.

VH-34D

HUS-1Z re-designated in 1962

UH-34E

HUS-1A re-designated in 1962

HH-34F

HUS-1G re-designated in 1962

YSH-34G

YHSS-1 re-designated in 1962

SH-34G

HSS-1 re-designated in 1962

SH-34H

HSS-1F re-designated in 1962

YSH-34J

YHSS-1N re-designated in 1962

SH-34J

HSS-1N re-designated in 1962

UH-34J

SH-34J without ASW equipment for cargo and training purposes.

HH-34J

Ex-USN UH-34Js operated by the U.S. Air Force

VH-34J

Staff transport conversions of SH-34J.

XHSS-1 Seabat

Three Sikorsky S-58s for evaluation by the U.S. Navy, re-designated YHSS-1 then YSH-34G in 1962.

HSS-1 Seabat

Production Anti-Submarine model for the U.S. Navy, re-designated SH-34G in 1962, 215 built

HSS-1F Seabat

One HSS-1 re-engined with two YT-58-GE as a flying test bed, re-designated SH-34H in 1962.

YHSS-1N Seabat

One HSS-1 converted as the HSS-1N prototype, re-designated YSH-34J in 1962.

HSS-1N Seabat

Night/Bad weather version of the HSS-1 with improved avionics and autopilot, re-designated SH-34J in 1962, 167 built (an addition 75 HSS-1 airframes were built to CH-34C standard for West Germany).

HUS-1 Seahorse

Utility transport version of the HSS-1 for the U.S. Marine Corps, re-designated UH-34D in 1962, 462 built

HUS-1A Seahorse

Forty HUS-1s fitted with amphibious pontoons, re-designated UH-34E in 1962.

HUS-1G Seahorse

United States Coast Guard version of the HUS-1, re-designated HH-34F in 1962, six built.

HUS-1L Seahorse

Four HUS-1s converted for antarctic operations with VXE-6, re-designated LH-34D in 1962.

HUS-1Z Seahorse

Seven HUS-1s fitted with VIP interior for the Executive Flight Detachment, re-designated VH-34D in 1962.

S-58

Commercial designation for basic cargo variant

S-58B

Commercial designation for improved cargo variant

S-58C

Commercial passenger transport/airliner version

S-58D

Commercial airliner/freighter version

S-58T

Commercial conversion to turboshaft power by Sikorsky, Orlando Helicopter, and California Helicopter. Kit uses Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-3 Twin-Pac turboshaft with special nose cowling featuring distinctive twin rectangular air intakes.

S-58 Heli-Camper

Commercial conversion, fitted with a Wright Cyclone R-1820-24 engine.

Orlando Airliner

Commercial conversion. 18-seat passenger transport helicopter.

Westland Wessex

Licence production and development in the United Kingdom.

Operators

 Argentina

• Argentine Air Force^[13]
• Argentine Naval Aviation^[14]

 Belgium

• Belgian Air Force ^[15]
• Belgian Navy^[15]

 Brazil

• Brazilian Navy^[15]

 Canada

• Royal Canadian Air Force^[16]
• Canadian Armed Forces^[15]

 Chile

• Chilean Navy^[17][18]

 Costa Rica

• Ministry of Public Security^[19]

 France

• French Army^[20]
• French Navy ^[21]

 West Germany

• Luftwaffe^[20]
• German Army^[20]
• German Navy^[20]

 Haiti

• Haitian Air Corps^[22]

 Indonesia

• Indonesian Air Force^[23]

 Italy

• Italian Air Force^[24]

 Israel

• Israeli Air Force^[25]

 Japan

• Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force^[26]

 Laos

• Royal Lao Air Force^[27]

 Netherlands

• Royal Netherlands Navy^[28]

 Nicaragua

• Fuerza Aérea Sandinista^[29]

 Philippines

• Philippine Air Force^[30]

 South Vietnam

• Vietnam Air Force^[31]

 Republic of China

• Republic of China Army^[32]

 Thailand

• Royal Thai Air Force^[33]

 United States

• United States Air Force^[34]
• United States Army^[35]
• United States Marine Corps^[35]
• United States Navy ^[35]
• United States Coast Guard^[35][36]

 Uruguay

• Uruguayan Navy^[37]

Accidents and incidents

• 27 July 1960 Chicago Helicopter Airways Flight 698 a S-58C registered N879 crashed into Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois, United States with the loss of 11 passengers and two crew. The investigation concluded that the helicopter became uncontrollable as a result of structural disintegration in flight caused by a fatigue failure of the main rotor blade.^[38]

• 13 March 2011 Sikorsky S-58ET, N33602, suffered an engine failure, descended and veered off the side of an office building in El Segundo, California, while lifting an external load from the roof. The commercial pilot was seriously injured, the helicopter was substantially damaged and consumed by a post-impact fire. The helicopter was registered to Heli Flight, Inc., and operated by Aris Helicopters.^[39]

Aircraft on display

• UH-34D Seahorse on display on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown (CV-10) at the Patriot's Point Naval and Maritime Museum in Charleston, South Carolina.^[40]
• S-58T, H4K-64/30 / 20117 (cn 58-1117) at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum, Bangkok, Thailand.^[41]
• UH-34D Seahorse (S-58A) 150556 (cn 58-1683) at Royal Thai Air Force Museum, Bangkok, Thailand.^[41]
• H-34C Choctaw, s/n 054496, 1954, located at Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina.^[42]
• UH-34J Sea Bat BuNo 145694, 1958, at the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum, Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania^[43]
• UH-34D Seahorse Serial BuNo 15055, 1963, is on display on the hangar deck of the USS Hornet (CV-12) at Alameda, California.^[44]
• UH-34D, BuNo 150227, is on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.^[45][46]
• UH-34D is on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center.^[47]
• LH-34D Seabat (s/n 145717) is on display at the New England Air Museum, Bradley International Airport, Windsor Locks, CT ^[48]
• SH-34J Sea Horse, is on display at Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, Pueblo, Colorado, next to Pueblo Airport.^[49]

Specifications (H-34 Choctaw)

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Capacity: 16 troops or 8 stretchers
• Length: 56 ft 8.5 in (17.28 m)
• Rotor diameter: 56 ft 0 in (17.07 m)
• Height: 15 ft 11 in (4.85 m)
• Disc area: 2,463 ft² (228.85 m²)
• Empty weight: 7,900 lb (3,583 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 14,000 lb (6,350 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-1820-84 radial engine, 1,525 hp (1,137 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 123 mph (107 kn, 198 km/h)
• Range: 293 km (182 mi)
• Service ceiling: 4,905 ft (1,495 m^[50])

Armament

• Various (See Main Article: U.S. Helicopter Armament Subsystems)

See also

Related development

• Sikorsky H-19
• Westland Wessex
• Piasecki PA-97

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Mil Mi-4

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of helicopters
• List of civil aircraft

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sikorsky S-58 or Sikorsky H-34

• VNAF Kingbee 219th Squadron history fact sheet
• HELIS.com Sikorsky S-58/H-34/HSS-1/HUS-1 Database

v t e Sikorsky Aircraft Fixed-wing aircraft S-1 S-2 S-3 S-4 S-5 S-6 S-7 S-8 S-9 S-10 S-11 S-12 S-13 S-14 S-15 S-16 S-17 S-18 S-19 S-20 S-21 S-22 S-23 S-24 S-25 S-26 S-27 S-28 S-29-A S-30 S-31 S-32 S-33 S-34 S-35 S-36 S-37 S-38 S-39 S-40 S-41 S-42 S-43 VS-44 S-45 Helicopters (Company designations) VS-300 (S-46) S-47 S-48 S-49 S-51 S-52 S-53 S-54 S-55 S-56 S-57 S-58 S-59 S-60 S-61 S-61L/N S-61R S-62 S-63 S-64 S-65 S-66 S-67 S-68 S-69 S-70 S-71 S-72 S-73 S-74 S-75 S-76 S-80 S-92/H-92 S-97 S-300 S-333 S-434 Helicopters (Military designations) SH-3 HH-3E/F R-4 H-5 H-6 H-18 H-19 H-34 CH-37 XH-39 HH-52A CH-53 CH-53E CH-53K CH-54 HH-60G HH-60J MH-60R/S SH-60B/F SH-60J/K UH-60 VH-60 RAH-66 CH-124 CH-148 Experimental aircraft Cypher Cypher II Firefly X2 XBLR-3 XV-2

v t e USAAC/USAAF/USAF/Joint Service Helicopter designations 1941–present Numerical sequence used by USAAC/USAAF/USAF 1941–present; US Army 1948–1956 and 1962–present; US Navy 1962–present Main sequence Prefix R-, 1941–1948 R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 R-5 R-6 R-7 R-8 R-9 R-10 R-11 R-12 R-13 R-14 R-15 R-16 Main sequence Prefix H-, 1948–1962 H-5 H-6 H-9 H-10 H-11 H-12 H-13/J H-15 H-16 H-17 H-18 H-19 H-20 H-21 H-22 H-23 H-24 H-25 H-26 H-27 H-28 H-29 H-30 H-31 H-32 H-33 H-34 H-35 H-361 H-37 H-381 H-39 H-40 H-41 H-42 H-43 H-441 H-451 Main joint sequence H- with mission prefix 1962– OH-13/UH-13J UH-19 CH-21 OH-23 UH-25 CH-34 CH-37 HH-43 CH-46/HH-46/UH-46 CH-47 UH-48 XH-49 QH-50 XH-51 HH-52 CH-53/HH-53/MH-53 CH-54 TH-55 AH-56 TH-57 OH-58 XH-59 UH-60/SH-60/HH-60/HH-60J YUH-61 XCH-62 YAH-63 AH-64 HH-65 RAH-66 TH-67 MH-68 H-691 ARH-70 VH-71 UH-72 1962 redesignations reusing old numbers UH-1/N/Y AH-1/J/T/W/Z SH-2/SH-2G SH-3/CH-3/HH-3 OH-4 OH-5 OH-6/MH-6/AH-6 1 Not assigned

v t e USN helicopter designations pre-1962 Helicopter, Anti-submarine Bell HSL Sikorsky HSS-1 HSS-2 Helicopter, Crane McDonnell HCH Helicopter, Observation Convertawings HOC Hiller HOE Gyrodyne HOG Kaman HOK Sikorsky HOS HO2S HO3S HO4S HO5S Helicopter, Trainer pre-1948 Sikorsky HNS Helicopter, Trainer 1948-1962 Hiller HTE Kaman HTK Bell HTL Helicopter, Transport 1944-1962 Boeing Vertol HRB McDonnell HRH Piasecki HRP Sikorsky HRS HR2S HR3S Helicopter, Utility pre-1949 McDonnell HJD McDonnell HJH Piasecki HJP Sikorsky HJS Helicopter, Utility 1950-1962 Kaman HUK HU2K Bell: HUL McCulloch HUM Piasecki HUP Sikorsky HUS HU2S

v t e Canadian Forces post-1968 unified aircraft designations 100–119 CF-100 CF-101 102–103 skipped CF-104 CF-105 CC-106 CP-107 CC-108 CC-109 CSR-110 CF-111 CH-112 CH-113 CT-114 CC-115 CF-116 CC-117 CH-118 CO-119 CO-119(2) 120–139 CT-120 CP-121 CP-122 CSR-123/CC-123 CH-124 CH-125 CH-126 CH-127 CT-128 CC-129 CC-130 CX-131 CC-132 CT-133 CT-134 CH-135 CH-136 CC-137 CC-138 CH-139 140–159 CP-140 CC-141 CT-142 CH-143 CC-144/CE-144 CT-145 CH-146 CH-147 CH-148 CH-149 CC-150 151–154 skipped CT-155 CT-156 157–159 skipped CU-160 160–       CU-161 CU-162 CU-163 164–166 skipped CU-167 CU-168 169 skipped CU-170 171–176 skipped CC-177 CH-178 179–187 skipped CF-188

v t e Lists relating to aviation General Aircraft manufacturers Aircraft engines manufacturers Gliders Airlines defunct Airports Civil authorities Museums Registration prefixes Rotorcraft manufacturers Timeline Military Air forces Weapons Experimental Missiles Unmanned Accidents/incidents Commercial airliners by location Fatalities by death toll General aviation Military Records Airspeed Altitude Distance Endurance Firsts Large Most-produced aircraft Most-produced rotorcraft