Boeing-Vertol CH-46
| Boeing-Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight | |
|---|---|
 CH-46 "Sea Knight" on board the USS Saipan |
|
| Type: | medium-weight transport helicopter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
April 22, 1958 |
| Commissioning: |
1964 |
| Production time: |
1962 to 1971 |
| Number of pieces: |
524 |
The Boeing-Vertol 107 is a medium-duty transport helicopter with two main rotors in tandem configuration , which was in service with the US Navy until 2004 and the US Marine Corps until 2015 under the designation CH-46 Sea Knight . The only European user was Sweden until 2011. In Canada, Columbia Helicopters has been flying a few civilian-approved specimens since 2005 , which were previously operated by the Canadian armed forces until 2004.
history
The Vertol 107 was developed for the US Army tender for a transport helicopter and completed its first flight under the designation YHC-1A on April 22, 1958. In total, it can transport 25 passengers. The fuselage was designed so that bulky items of cargo or light off-road vehicles can be loaded via the stern ramp. As a marine helicopter, it has the ability to enter the water with minimal swell without the need for additional floats. The fuselage is sealed accordingly. Automatic trim and blind flight instruments are built in to reduce the crew's workload .
The US Army was only interested in the larger successor model, the CH-47 Chinook . The US Navy, however, became interested in the CH / UH-46, whereupon the improved CH / UH-46 D with new turbines was developed. Further improvements to the engines and the avionics resulted in the CH / UH-46 F; the E program is currently running, which provides for all A models to be upgraded to the E standard. The Navy finally decommissioned the helicopter on September 4, 2004, the USMC is planning a complete replacement by the Bell Boeing V-22 tilt rotor aircraft in 2014. By the last production in February 1971, 524 Sea Knights had been built.
Outside the USA , the CH-46 was used by the Canadian Navy and Coast Guard under the designation CH-113 Labrador and CH-113A Voyageur, and by the Swedish Navy under the name HKP-4, both models used Rolls-Royce turbines. Other users are or were Japan (military), Saudi Arabia and Thailand as well as various airlines such as New York Airways and PanAm .
Kawasaki produced the CH-46 under license and sold it under the designation KV-107 / II to civilian operators, where it was or is used, among other things, as a rescue and fire-fighting helicopter .
variants
Of all variants, a total of 525 machines were completed in both production facilities by 1971.
Civil variants
- Model 107 A prototype was made by the manufacturer in the USA.
- Model 107-II airline helicopter variant for scheduled flights or for supplying oil rigs. After two prototypes have been made, the following machines have been designated as BV 107-II-2. From 1962 to 1964 six machines were delivered to New York Airways and in 1964 two to Pan American World Airways , which they leased to New York Airways. Ten machines went to the licensee Kawasaki as kits.
Military variants
United States ( United States Army ):
- YHC-1A Three test machines for the US Army and later used by the USMC as HRB-1 and later as YCH-46C.
- YCH-46C Renaming of the YHC-1A in 1962. Two shipped for the US Army and one for NASA for testing automatic landings.
United States ( United States Air Force ):
- UH-46B Development of a CH-46A for the USAF's HX / H2 tender. Order of twelve machines canceled in 1962.
United States ( United States Marine Corps ):
- Model 107M prototype for the USMC's BV-107 / II-2 military transporter.
- HRB-1 old designation of CH-46A
- CH-46A medium tactical combat zone and rescue helicopter for the USMC (previously referred to as HRB-1). 160 built, including a non-flight training machine.
- CH-46D medium tactical combat zone and rescue helicopter for the USMC with General Electric T58 GE -10 turbines, 266 built.
United States ( US Navy ):
- UH-46A medium multipurpose transport helicopter built for supplying ships, equipment such as CH-46A, 14.
- HH-46A rescue helicopter, conversions from approx. 50 surplus CH-46A.
- HH-46D rescue helicopter. Conversion from HH-46A and UH-46D with external rescue winch and radar behind the main landing gear for automatic hovering over water at night.
- RH-46A proposed mine clearance helicopter variant for the Navy.
- Navy UH-46D multipurpose medium transport helicopter, same equipment as CH-46D, one rebuilt and ten new builds.
- CH-46E medium tactical combat zone helicopter, 275 converted from -A, -D, and -F machines with T58-GE-16 turbine.
- HH-46E rescue helicopter, conversions from CH-46E.
- CH-46F improved variant, 174 built.
- VH-46F unofficial name of the VIP-CH-46F of the HMX-1 .
- CH-46X
- XH-49 old designation of the CH-46B.
Canada ( Royal Canadian Air Force ):
- CH-113 Labrador
- CH-113A Voyageur
Sweden ( Svenska Flygvapnet ):
The Swedish Air Force had chosen the civilian variant and internally referred to it as Helicopter Four (HKP 4).
- HKP 4A rescue helicopter, BV-107-II-14, ten without engines delivered to Sweden for equipping with their own engines and avionics.
- HKP 4B marine variant of the BV 107-II-15 with equipment for a sea mine layer, submarine hunter and rescue helicopter. Three machines were built and one was converted from the civil prototype.
- HKP 4C marine variant of the Kawasaki KV-107-II-16 with extended capabilities for mine-laying, submarine hunting and sea rescue. Eight machines were built.
- HKP 4D marine variant for submarine hunting and sea rescue, conversion from HKP 4A for the navy.
Japan ( Japanese Air Force ):
- KV-107II-1 (CT58-110-1)
- KV-107II-2 (CT58-110-1)
- KV-107IIA-2 (CT58-140-1)
- KV-107II-3 (CT58-110-1)
- KV-107IIA-3 (CT58-IHI-10-M1)
- KV-107II-4 (CT58-IHI-110-1)
- KV-107II-4A (CT58-IHI-110-1)
- KV-107IIA-4 (CT58-IHI-140-1)
- KV-107II-5 (CT58-IHI-110-1)
Armament
Door-mounted weapons
- 2 × 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns with 110 rounds of ammunition (CH-46) in the side doors
- 1 × 7.62 mm FN M240D machine gun with 100 rounds of ammunition (CH-46) on the rear ramp
Air-to-ground free-fall ammunition
- 6 × depth charges Sjb 11
- 6 × water bomb Sjb 51
- 4 × light torpedo Saab Dynamics Tp 432
- 4 × light torpedo type 451 (ubåtsjakttorped)
Decoys
- 2 × AN / ALE-39/47 flare launchers
- 2 × BOP-300 flare launchers
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Rotor diameter | 2 × 15.54 m |
| length | 13.92 m |
| Engines | 2 General Electric T58-GE-16 turbines (1,870 WPS each ) |
| Empty weight | 7,048 kg |
| Max. Takeoff weight | 11,022 kg |
| Tank capacity | 2,360 liters |
| Top speed | 267 km / h |
| Cruising speed | 248 km / h |
| Range | 633 km with 1,088 kg (2,400 lb) payload |
See also
literature
- Sopheartith Moeng: Military Aircraft. Airlife Publishing Ltd, Shrewsbury, ISBN 1-85310-537-6 , p. 26.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ World Air Power Journal, Volume 34, p. 156, Air Power Analysis, Sweden - Marinflyget
- ^ Bill Gunston: Modern Military Helicopters. P. 109, Boeing Vertol 107