The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (company model number S-55) was a multi-purpose

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribut ...

used by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

and

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

. It was also license-built by

Westland Aircraft Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil, Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Limited just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915. ...

as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom.

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

models were designated HO4S, while those of the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...

were designated HRS. In 1962, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps versions were all redesignated as H-19s like their U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force counterparts.

Development

Development of the H-19 was initiated privately by Sikorsky without government sponsorship. The helicopter was initially designed as a testbed for several novel design concepts intended to provide greater load-carrying ability in combination with easy maintenance. Under the leadership of designer Edward F. Katzenberger, a mockup was designed and fabricated in less than one year. The first customer was the United States Air Force, which ordered five YH-19 aircraft for evaluation; the YH-19's first flight was on 10 November 1949, less than a year after the program start date. This was followed by delivery of the first YH-19 to the U.S. Air Force on 16 April 1950 and delivery of the first HO4S-1 helicopter to the U. S. Navy on 31 August 1950. A U.S. Air Force YH-19 was sent to

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republi ...

for service trials in March 1951, where it was joined by a second YH-19 in September 1951. On 27 April 1951, the first HRS-1 was delivered to the U.S. Marine Corps, and on 2 May 1951, the first S-55 was delivered to Westland Aircraft. 1,281 of the helicopters were manufactured by Sikorsky in the United States. An additional 447 were manufactured by licensees of the helicopter including Westland Aircraft, the SNCASE in France and

Mitsubishi The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries. Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group historically descended from the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company which existed from 187 ...

in Japan. The helicopter was widely exported, used by many other nations, including Portugal, Greece, Israel, Chile, South Africa, Denmark and Turkey. In 1954 the Marines tested an idea to enhance lift in hot and high and/or heavily loaded conditions by installing a rocket nozzle at the tip of each rotor blade with the fuel tank located in the center above the rotor blade hub. Enough fuel was provided for seven minutes of operation. Although tests of the system were considered successful, it was never adopted operationally.

Design

Major innovations implemented on the H-19 were the forward placement of the engine below the crew compartment and in front of the main cabin, the use of offset flapping hinges located nine inches (229 mm) from the center of the rotor, and the use of hydraulic servos for the main rotor controls. These features yielded an aircraft that was far more capable in a transport role than previous Sikorsky designs. The forward engine location placed the main cabin essentially in line with the main rotor's rotational axis and close to the aircraft center of gravity, making it easier to maintain proper weight and balance under differing loading conditions. The impetus for this design choice was the recent rejection of the

Sikorsky XHJS The Sikorsky XHJS-1 (manufacturer designation S-53), was developed by Sikorsky Aircraft Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1923 and ...

by the U.S. Navy in favor of the tandem rotor

Piasecki HUP Retriever The Piasecki HUP Retriever/H-25 Army Mule is a compact single radial engine, twin overlapping tandem rotor utility helicopter developed by the Piasecki Helicopter Corporation of Morton, Pennsylvania. Designed to a United States Navy specificati ...

; the Navy had strongly objected to the necessity to use

ballast Ballast is material that is used to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within a boat, ship, ...

in the cabin-forward XHJS to maintain proper weight and balance, prompting Sikorsky to seek single-rotor design alternatives that did not require this. Another benefit of this engine location was ease of maintenance, as the engine could be readily accessed at ground level through dual clamshell-style doors; the entire engine could be changed in only two hours, and the

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...

was oriented backwards relative to a typical airplane installation, allowing more convenient access to engine accessories.The accessories for a

were traditionally located on the side of the engine opposite the crankshaft; in a prop-powered airplane that used the more commonplace tractor configuration, the accessories were typically buried inside a

cowling A cowling is the removable covering of a vehicle's engine, most often found on automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, and on outboard boat motors. On airplanes, cowlings are used to reduce drag and to cool the engine. On boats, cowlings are a cove ...

nacelle A nacelle ( ) is a "streamlined body, sized according to what it contains", such as an engine, fuel, or equipment on an aircraft. When attached by a pylon entirely outside the airframe, it is sometimes called a pod, in which case it is attached ...

, resulting in less convenient access than the reversed orientation used in the H-19. Milestones-h19-070919-03-16

The offset flapping hinges and hydraulic servos gave more positive flight control under differing loading conditions, isolated the flight controls from vibration, and lessened control forces; the H-19 could be flown with only two fingers on the cyclic control. The YH-19 prototypes featured a blunt aft

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...

and a single starboard-mounted horizontal

tailplane A tailplane, also known as a horizontal stabiliser, is a small lifting surface located on the tail (empennage) behind the main lifting surfaces of a fixed-wing aircraft as well as other non-fixed-wing aircraft such as helicopters and gyroplan ...

with a small vertical fin at its outboard end. Initial production models added a large fillet-like fin behind the fuselage and under the tailboom, and the tailplane configuration was changed to an inverted "V" shape. Early H-19 and HO4S variants were powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-57 radial rated at 600 hp (472 kW) and used a centrifugal clutch that automatically engaged the main rotor when a preset engine speed was reached. However, the HO4S was deemed underpowered in U.S. Navy service with this powerplant, so the aircraft was re-engined with a 700 hp (522 kW) Wright R-1300-3 radial which the U.S. Navy found to be adequate in an air-sea rescue role; the H-19B, HO4S-3, HRS-3, and subsequent models would use this powerplant. The R-1300 models also used a single horizontal tailplane in place of the early inverted "V" style, and a new hydro-mechanical clutch gave smoother and more rapid rotor acceleration during clutch engagement and allowed the engine to be started and operated at any speed while disengaged from the transmission and rotors. Early civilian and military S-55 models offered a folding 400 lb (181 kg) capacity

hoist Hoist may refer to: * Hoist (device), a machine for lifting loads * Hoist controller, a machine for raising and lowering goods or personnel by means of a cable * Hydraulic hooklift hoist, another machine * Hoist (mining), another machine * Hoist ( ...

above the starboard main cabin door, while later models could be equipped with a more capable and reliable 600 lb (272 kg) capacity unit. Starting with the introduction of the S-55C in October 1956, the tailboom was inclined three degrees downward to provide more main rotor clearance during hard landings; models equipped with the inclined tail also used an 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)

tail rotor The tail rotor is a smaller rotor mounted vertically or near-vertically at the tail of a traditional single-rotor helicopter, where it rotates to generate a propeller-like horizontal thrust in the same direction as the main rotor's rotation. T ...

in place of the earlier 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) unit.

Operational history

The H-19 Chickasaw holds the distinction of being the U.S. Army's first true transport helicopter and, as such, played an important role in the initial formulation of Army doctrine regarding air mobility and the battlefield employment of troop-carrying helicopters. The H-19 underwent live service tests in the hands of the 6th Transportation Company, during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

beginning in 1951 as an unarmed transport helicopter. Undergoing tests such as

medical evacuation Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...

, tactical control and frontline cargo support, the helicopter succeeded admirably in surpassing the capabilities of the H-5 Dragonfly which had been used throughout the war by the Army. The U.S. Marine Corps made extensive use of the H-19 in the Korean War. It was designated as the HRS in USMC service. Marine Squadron

HMR-161 Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 (VMM-161) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron that operates the MV-22 Osprey. The squadron, known as the "Greyhawks", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under th ...

arrived in Korea on 2 September 1951 with 15 HRS-1 helicopters. The new helicopter squadron started operations upon arrival. On 13 September 1951, during Operation Windmill I, HMR-161 transported of gear and 74 Marines onto a ridge in the

Punchbowl Punchbowl is an alternative spelling of punch bowl, a large bowl for serving drinks, or may refer to: Topography *Punchbowl, a type of waterfall Places * Punchbowl, Korea, valley and site of 1950s battles *Punchbowl, New South Wales, suburb of Sy ...

area. A week later HMR-161 shuttled 224 recon company marines and of supplies to a remote hilltop in the same area. Their performance continued to improve and in Operation Haylift II on 23–27 February 1953, HMR-161 lifted of cargo to resupply two regiments. Although HMR-161 helicopters were operating in hot landing zones they did not lose any helicopters to enemy fire. HRS-1 helicopters were also used to relocate rocket launcher batteries. Because rockets create much visible dust when fired they make an easy target for enemy artillery. To reduce their exposure, launchers and crews were moved twice a day. Each HRS-1 helicopter carried four rocket launchers and extra rockets as external cargo, with the crew in the cabin. The HRS-1 helicopter proved to be durable and reliable in Korean service. One reportedly flew home after losing of main rotor blade to a tree. HMR-161 reported 90% aircraft availability. S-55MidCanadaLine

The U.S. Air Force ordered 50 H-19A's for rescue duties in 1951. These aircraft were the primary rescue and medical evacuation helicopters for the USAF during the Korean War. The Air Force continued to use the H-19 through the 1960s, ultimately acquiring 270 of the H-19B model."Sikorsky UH-19B Chickasaw."
''National Museum of the US Air Force.'' Retrieved: 13 September 2015. On 1 September 1953, Sabena used the S-55 to inaugurate the first commercial helicopter service in Europe, with routes between

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

and

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

and

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ru ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

. France made aggressive use of helicopters in Algeria, both as troop transports and gunships, Piasecki/Vertol H-21 and Sud-built Sikorski H-34 helicopters rapidly displaced fixed-wing aircraft for the transport of paras and quick-reaction commando teams. In Indochina, a small number of

Hiller H-23 The Hiller OH-23 Raven is a three-place, military light observation helicopter based on the Hiller Model 360. The Model 360 was designated by the company as the UH-12 ("UH" for United Helicopters),Donald, David. ''The Complete Encyclopedia of W ...

s and Sikorsky H-19s were available for casualty evacuation. In 1956, the French Air Force experimented with arming the H-19, then being superseded in service by the more capable

Piasecki H-21 The Piasecki H-21 Workhorse/Shawnee is an American helicopter, the fourth of a line of tandem rotor helicopters designed and built by Piasecki Helicopter (later Boeing Vertol). Commonly called "the flying banana", it was a multi-mission helicop ...

and

Sikorsky H-34 The Sikorsky H-34 "Choctaw" (company designation S-58) is an American piston-engined military helicopter originally designed by Sikorsky as an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft for the United States Navy. It has seen extended use when ad ...

helicopters. The H-19 was originally fitted with a 20-mm cannon, two rocket launchers, two 12.7-mm machine guns, and a 7.5-mm light machine gun firing from the cabin windows, but this load proved far too heavy, and even lightly armed H-19 gunships fitted with flexible machine guns for self-defense proved underpowered. The H-19 was also used by the French forces in the

First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh ( Democratic Republic of ...

. A small number of war-worn H-19s were given to the

Republic of Vietnam Air Force The South Vietnam Air Force, officially the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF; vi, Không lực Việt Nam Cộng hòa, KLVNCH; french: Force aérienne vietnamienne, FAVN) (sometimes referred to as the Vietnam Air Force or VNAF) was the aer ...

in 1958, when the French military departed. These saw very limited service in the early days of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, before being supplanted by the more capable

Choctaw. The H-19 left U.S. military service when the CH-19E was retired by U.S. Navy squadron HC-5 on 26 February 1969. Surplus H-19s were sold on the open market, and civil interest was sufficient that Sikorsky (and later Orlando Helicopter Airways) offered conversion kits allowing a military surplus H-19 to be commercially operated under a standard

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

type certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applic ...

as an S-55B.Military aircraft typically do not receive type certificates and thus cannot lawfully be operated commercially, except in certain special cases, such as a civil transport being adopted for military service without significant modifications.

Turboshaft A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaftpower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust ...

conversions were also offered by aftermarket modification companies. A novel civil conversion of the H-19 by Orlando Helicopter was the Heli-Camper, a

campervan A camper van, also referred to as a camper, caravanette, motor caravan or RV (recreational vehicle) in North America, is a self-propelled vehicle that provides both transport and sleeping accommodation. The term describes vans that have been fitt ...

-like conversion—featuring a built-in mini-kitchen and sleeping accommodations for four. In the late 1970s, Orlando participated in a joint effort with popular American

recreational vehicle A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and camp ...

(RV) manufacturer Winnebago Industries to market the aircraft, now renamed the Winnebago Heli-Home. A larger version based on the Sikorsky S-58 was also developed, and optional floats were offered for amphibious operations. The aircraft were featured in several American popular magazines and reportedly drew large crowds at RV shows and dealerships, but their high purchase price together with rising 1970s fuel prices resulted in very limited sales; production is not well documented, but is estimated at only six or seven of the S-55 and S-58 versions combined.

Variants

;YH-19: Five early production S-55s for evaluation. ;H-19A: USAF version of the YH-19 powered by a 600 hp (472 kW) R-1340-57 engine, redesignated UH-19A in 1962, 50 built. ;SH-19A: H-19As modified for

air-sea rescue Air-sea rescue (ASR or A/SR, also known as sea-air rescue), and aeronautical and maritime search and rescue (AMSAR) by the ICAO and IMO, is the coordinated search and rescue (SAR) of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people wh ...

, redesignated HH-19A in 1962. ;H-19B: H-19A with a more powerful 700 hp (522 kW) R-1300-3 engine, redesignated UH-19B in 1962, 264 built. ;SH-19B: H-19Bs modified for air-sea rescue, redesignated HH-19B in 1962. ;H-19C: US Army version of the H-19A, redesignated UH-19C in 1962, 72 built. ;H-19D: US Army version of the H-19B, redesignated UH-19D in 1962, 301 built. ;HO4S-1: US Navy version of the H-19A, ten built. ;HO4S-2: Air-sea rescue version with R-1340 derated to 550 hp (410 kW), three built for Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), two surviving aircraft subsequently converted to HO4S-3 standard. ;HO4S-2G: United States Coast Guard version of HO4S-2, seven built. ;HO4S-3: Re-engined US Navy & Canadian version with 700 hp (522 kW) Wright R-1300-3 engine, US Navy aircraft redesignated UH-19F in 1962 (RCN/ CAF aircraft retained HO4S-3 designation), 79 built. ;HO4S-3G: United States Coast Guard version of the HO4S-3, redesignated HH-19G in 1962, 30 built. ;HRS-1: United States Marine Corps version of the HO4S for eight troops, 600 hp (472 kW) R-1340-57 engine, 60 built. ;HRS-2: HRS-1 with equipment changes, 101 built. ;HRS-3: HRS-2 with 700 hp (522 kW) R-1300-3 engine, became CH-19E in 1962, 105 built and conversions from HRS-2. ;HRS-4: Project for HRS-3 with a 1,025 hp (764 kW)

R-1820 The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Uni ...

radial engine, not built. ;UH-19A: H-19A redesignated in 1962. ;HH-19A: SH-19A redesignated in 1962. ;UH-19B: H-19B redesignated in 1962. ;HH-19B: SH-19B redesignated in 1962. ;CH-19E: HRS-3 redesignated in 1962. ;UH-19F: HO4S-3 redesignated in 1962. ;HH-19G: HO4S-3G redesignated in 1962 ;S-55: Commercial version with 600 hp (472 kW) R-1340 engine. ;S-55A: Commercial version with 800 hp (596 kW) R-1300-3 engine. ;S-55B: New designation given to civilian kit conversions of military surplus H-19s with R-1300-3 engine. ;S-55C: S-55A with a 600 hp (472 kW) R-1340 engine. ;S-55T: Aircraft modified by Aviation Specialties and produced and marketed by Helitec with a 650 shp (485 kW)

Garrett AiResearch TPE-331 The Honeywell TPE331 (military designation: T76) is a turboprop engine. It was originally designed in the 1950s by Garrett AiResearch, and produced since 1999 by Honeywell Aerospace. The engine's power output ranges from . Design and developm ...

-3U-303 turboshaft and updated equipment. ;S-55QT: Commercial conversion. Ultra-quiet helicopter for sight-seeing flights over the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a ...

. ;OHA-S-55 Heli-Camper/Winnebago Heli-Home: Commercial conversions carried out by Orlando Helicopters; marketed by Winnebago. ;OHA-S-55 Nite-Writer: Commercial conversion. Aerial advertising helicopter, fitted with a 12.2-m x (40-ft x 8-ft) array of computer-controlled lights. ;OHA-S-55 Bearcat: Commercial conversion. Agricultural helicopter. ;OHA-S-55 Heavy Lift: Commercial conversion. Flying crane helicopter. ;QS-55 Aggressors: Commercial conversion. S-55 helicopters converted into flying targets. ;OHA-AT-55 Defender: Commercial conversion. Armed military helicopter. ;Whirlwind HAR21: HRS-2 for Royal Navy, ten delivered. ;Whirlwind HAS22: HO4S-3 for Royal Navy, 15 delivered. Later marks of Whirlwind were built under licence. ;VAT Elite: Highly modified S-55 from Vertical Aircraft Technologies Inc., powered by a

Garret TSE311 A garret is a habitable attic, a living space at the top of a house or larger residential building, traditionally, small, dismal, and cramped, with sloping ceilings. In the days before elevators this was the least prestigious position in a bui ...

driving a 5-bladed rotor.

Operators

Notable accidents

* 17 January 1975 – In what remains the deadliest helicopter accident in Icelandic history, an S-55B crashed in Hvalfjörður, Iceland due to severe winds, killing all five passengers and both crewmembers on board.

Aircraft on display

See

Westland Whirlwind (helicopter) The Westland Whirlwind helicopter was a British licence-built version of the U.S. Sikorsky S-55/H-19 Chickasaw. It primarily served with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in anti-submarine and search and rescue roles. Design and development ...

for examples of the British license-built S-55. ;Argentina * H-04 – S-55 on display at the

Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica de Argentina The National Aeronautics Museum "Brigadier Edmundo Civati Bernasconi" ( es, Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica) is an Argentine museum located in the city of Morón, Buenos Aires. Established in 1960, the museum is dedicated to the history of aviati ...

in Morón, Buenos Aires. * 0371/55-633 – S-55 on display at the Museo de la Aviacion Naval in Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires. ;Guatemala * S-55 on display in the traffic circle at the main gate of Air Force Headquarters, Aeropuerto Internacional La Aurora, Guatemala City. ;Canada * 55885 – HO4S-3 on static display at the Shearwater Aviation Museum in Shearwater, Nova Scotia. It is painted in

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack subma ...

Sqn. No. 7 colors as used by Anti-Submarine Squadron HS-50 and Utility Squadron HU-21. * 55822 Sikorsky S-55 Horse (H-19, HO4S) on static display at The Hangar Flight Museum in

Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population ...

, was operated by Associated Airways in Canada's North. It is fitted with a 550 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp R-1340-S1H2 engine. ;Denmark * S-884 – S-55C on static display at the Danmarks Flymuseum in Skjern, Ringkøbing-Skjern. ;Germany * 53-4458 – H-19B on static display at the

Deutsches Museum The Deutsches Museum (''German Museum'', officially (English: ''German Museum of Masterpieces of Science and Technology'')) in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest museum of science and technology, with about 28,000 exhibited objects from ...

in Munich, Bavaria. ;India * IZ1590 – S-55C on static display at the Indian Air Force Museum in

Palam, Delhi Palam (phonetically Pālam) is a major residential colony located in South West Delhi. The Indira Gandhi International Airport, formerly known as ''Palam Airport'', the main airport of National Capital Region is situated here. It is one of 70 Vidh ...

. ;Israel * 03 – H-19 on static display at the Israeli Air Force Museum in Hatzerim, South District. ;Japan * JG-0001 – H-19C on static display at the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum in

Tokorozawa, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 344,194 in 163,675 households and a population density of 4800 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Tokorozawa is located in the c ...

. * 40012 – H-19C in storage at the

Kawaguchiko Motor Museum is a museum located in Yamanashi prefecture, Japan. Founded in 1981J-HangarSpace - ...

Narusawa, Yamanashi is a village located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 3,152 in 1257 households, and a population density of 32.6 persons per km². The total area of the village is . Geography Narusawa is located in ...

. ;Norway * 56-4279 – H-19 D-4 on static display at the Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection in Gardermoen, Akershus. ;Portugal * 9101 – UH-19 at the Museu do Ar on Sintra Air Base near Lisbon. ;Serbia * 11714 – S-55 on static display at the Museum of Aviation in Surčin, Belgrade. ;Thailand * H3-3/97 – Type 3 on display at the Royal Thai Air Force Museum in Bangkok, Bangkok. ;Turkey * 52-7577 – UH-19B on static display at the

Istanbul Aviation Museum The Istanbul Aviation Museum, a.k.a. Turkish Air Force Museum, ( tr, Havacılık Müzesi or Hava Kuvvetleri Müzesi) is a military-based museum for aviation, owned and operated by the Turkish Air Force. The museum is located in Yeşilköy neighbo ...

in Istanbul, Istanbul. ;United States * Unknown ID – H-19 in storage at

Fantasy of Flight Fantasy of Flight is an aviation museum in Polk City, Florida. It opened in November 1995, to house Kermit Weeks' collection of aircraft that, until Hurricane Andrew damaged many in 1992, were housed at the Weeks Air Museum in Tamiami, Florid ...

in Polk City, Florida. * Unknown ID – UH-19F on static display at

Kirtland Air Force Base Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the ea ...

in Albuquerque, New Mexico. * 130151 – CH-19E on static display at the

National Museum of Naval Aviation The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Founded in 1962 and moved to its cur ...

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principa ...

. It is displayed in a US Coast Guard paint scheme. * 130252 – HRS-3 on static display at the

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is a United States Marine Corps aviation museum currently located at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California. The museum contains exhibits and artifacts relating to the history and legacy of ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

. It is painted with the unit markings of

. * 49-2012 – YH-19 on static display at the

Udvar-Hazy Center The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, also called the Udvar-Hazy Center, is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)'s annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in the Chantilly area of Fairfax County, Virginia. It holds numerou ...

of the National Air and Space Museum in

Chantilly, Virginia Chantilly is a census-designated place (CDP) in western Fairfax County, Virginia. The population was 24,301 as of the 2020 census. Chantilly is named after an early-19th-century mansion and farm, which in turn took the name of an 18th-century ...

. This airframe was the first S-55 built. * 52-7537 – UH-19B on static display at the

Pima Air and Space Museum The Pima Air & Space Museum, located in Tucson, Arizona, is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres (320,000 m²) on a campus occ ...

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive ...

. It is painted as a rescue helicopter with the

534th Air Defense Group The 534th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4706th Air Defense Wing at Kinross Air Force Base, Michigan where it was inactivated in 1955. The group was originally activated a ...

. * 52-7587 – UH-19 on static display at the

National Museum of the United States Air Force The National Museum of the United States Air Force (formerly the United States Air Force Museum) is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the ...

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. It is painted as ''Hopalong'', one of the helicopters to make the first transatlantic flight. * 52-7602 – H-19D on static display at the

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is an aviation museum in McMinnville, Oregon. Its exhibits include the Hughes H-4 Hercules (''Spruce Goose'') and more than fifty military and civilian aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and spac ...

McMinnville, Oregon McMinnville is the county seat of and largest city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. The city is named after McMinnville, Tennessee. As of the 2019 census, the city had a population estimate of 34,743. McMinnville is at the confluence o ...

. It is painted in U.S. Army scheme. * 53-4426 – H-19B on static display at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska. * 55-4943 – UH-19D on static display at the

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Paso Robles, California Paso Robles ( ), officially El Paso de Robles ( Spanish for "The Pass of Oaks"), is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Salinas River approximately north of San Luis Obispo, the city is known for its h ...

. This airframe had previously been on display at the Museum of Flight in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

. * 57-5937 – UH-19D on static display at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum in

Titusville, Florida Titusville is a city in eastern Florida and the county seat of Brevard County, Florida, United States. The city's population was 43,761 as of the 2010 United States Census. Titusville is located along the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and ...

. It is painted in a USAF rescue scheme. It was previously on display at the

EAA AirVenture Museum The EAA Aviation Museum, formerly the EAA AirVenture Museum (or Air Adventure Museum), is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historic and experimental aircraft as well as antiques, classics, and warbirds. The museum is ...

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

. This aircraft is a former Winnebago Heli-Home. * 59-4973 – UH-19D on static display at the

Camp San Luis Obispo Museum Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

and Historical Site in

San Luis Obispo, California San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly h ...

. * 53221 – H-19 Chickasaw on static display at the

United States Army Aviation Museum The United States Army Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located on Fort Rucker near Daleville, Alabama. It has the largest collection of helicopters held by a museum in the world.Phillips 1992, p. 37.Purner 2004, p. 204. The museum featur ...

at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

Specifications (UH-19C)

Notable appearances in media

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

*Duke, R.A., Helicopter Operations in Algeria rans. French Dept. of the Army (1959) * *France, Operations Research Group, ''Report of the Operations Research Mission on H-21 Helicopter'' Dept. of the Army (1957) *Harding, Stephen. ''U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947'', Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing (1990). . *Riley, David, ''French Helicopter Operations in Algeria'', Marine Corps Gazette, February 1958, pp. 21–26. *Shrader, Charles R., ''The First Helicopter War: Logistics and Mobility in Algeria, 1954–1962'', Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers (1999) * * *Spenser, Jay P., ''Whirlybirds: A History of the U.S. Helicopter Pioneers'', Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press (1998)

External links

H-19 US Army Aviation history fact sheetUSMC Sikorsky HRS (H-19) DatabaseHELIS.com Sikorsky S-55 (H-19/HRS/HO4S) Database
* {{Authority control United States military helicopters H-19, Sikorsky Search and rescue helicopters 1940s United States helicopters H-019 Single-engined piston helicopters Aircraft first flown in 1949