Kaman HH-43B Huskie
The Kaman HH-43B Huskie was a turbine-powered development of the earlier H-43 rescue helicopter, built for US Air Force base crash-rescue and short-range recovery missions. Its intermeshing rotors gave it excellent hover control without a tail rotor, useful around airfield obstacles. Several were sent to Vietnam, where crews used them to rescue downed airmen under the call sign ‘Pedro’. The aircraft’s service was a major stepping stone in the development of dedicated US Air Force combat-rescue operations.
Did you know?
The turbine-powered HH-43B kept the H-43's intermeshing rotors but added more power, and Vietnam rescue crews knew it by the call sign 'Pedro'.
Specifications
| Length | 7.6 m (25 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 3.3 m (11 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 14 m (46 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 6 |
| Persons on board | 10 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Range | 200 NM (370 km) |
| Maximum speed | 120 kt (222 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 14,000 ft (4,267 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 8,000 ft (2,438 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,801 ft/min (9.1 m/s) |
| Engines | 1x Lycoming T53-L-1B |
| Units built | 203 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Kaman HH-43B Huskie starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Kaman, the HH-43B Huskie family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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