Sikorsky SH-3
The Sikorsky S-61, built for the US Navy as the SH-3 Sea King, was one of the first helicopters designed with a boat-hull-shaped fuselage that let it land on water as an emergency capability during long overwater anti-submarine patrols. That amphibious hull also made it a natural choice for NASA, which used Sea Kings to recover Apollo astronauts and capsules from the ocean after splashdown. Civilian versions went on to long careers in offshore oil transport and search and rescue. A number of military and civil variants remain in active service worldwide decades after its 1959 first flight.
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Did you know?
The Sikorsky S-61's boat-hull fuselage let it land on water, a feature NASA used to recover Apollo astronauts from the ocean after splashdown.
Specifications
| Length | 17.4 m (57 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 5.1 m (17 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 18.9 m (62 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 26 |
| Persons on board | 26 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 5.3 t |
| Range | 405 NM (750 km) |
| Maximum speed | 138 kt (256 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 12,500 ft (3,810 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 8,000 ft (2,438 m) |
| Rate of climb | 2,020 ft/min (10.3 m/s) |
| Fuel capacity | 3,180 l |
| Engines | 2x General Electric T58 |
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 Sikorsky SH-3 starts as a Very rare 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.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Sikorsky, the SH-3 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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