Specifications
Aircraft Type: H-19B, S/N 53-4426, Chickasaw, Sikorsky
Mission: Search and Rescue Helicopter
Number Built : During 10 years of production 1,181 H-19 Chickasaw helicopters were produced.
Powerplant: One Wright R-1300-3 radial air-cooled engine, 800 horsepower.
Weight: Empty 5,250 lbs., Loaded 7,900 lbs.
Dimensions: Rotor diameter 53′, length 42’3″, height 13’4″.
Performance: Maximum speed 112 MPH, Cruising speed 91 MPH, Service ceiling 5,800 feet.
Significance of Type
The UH/HH-19 Chickasaw is the original Air Force “Whirlybird” helicopter. It was first test flown during November 1942. It was developed from the Sikorsky S-55 and was the first transport helicopter to receive Civil Aviation Authority approval for commercial operation. The first Military version was test flown in November 1949, and production continued until March 1961. The Korean War provided a rigorous proving ground for the Chickasaw’s payload carrying capabilities.
In July 1952, two Military Air Transport Service H-19s completed the first transatlantic helicopter flight from Westover AFB, Massachusetts to Prestwick, Scotland by way of Labrador and Greenland. This flight was completed in 42 hours and 25 minutes.
About Our H-19B, S/N 53-4426 : This aircraft was accepted by the USAF on 27 August 1954. Below is a listing of assignments for H-19B, S/N 53-4426A:
August 29, 1954- To 310th Troop Carrier Squadron, Pope AFB, North Carolina
February 28, 1956- To 4432nd ABRON, Wendover AFB, Utah
November 8, 1957- To 31st Fighter Bomber Wing (TAC), Turner AFB, Georgia
April 21, 1958- To 31st Air Base Group, Turner AFB, Georgia
March 18, 1959- To 4138th Consolidated Support Squadron (SAC), Turner AFB, Georgia
May 14, 1959- To 814th Air Base Group, Westover AFB, Massachusetts
June 1, 1959- To 814th Combat Support Group, Westover AFB, Massachusetts
March 3, 1962- To 3902nd Air Base Wing, Offutt AFB, Nebraska
June 18, 1965- To 319th Bomb Wing, Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota
July 27, 1966- To 43rd Bomb Wing, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas
December 29, 1967- Dropped from inventory by transfer to Strategic Air & Space Museum