Individual United States Navy helicopter flown in support of NASA
Helicopter 66
|
|
Helicopter 66 pictured in 1969
|
Other name(s)
|
"Old 66",
[1]
Helicopter 740
|
Type
|
Helicopter
|
Manufacturer
|
Sikorsky Aircraft
|
Serial
|
BuNo 152711
[1]
|
Owners and operators
|
U.S. Navy
|
In service
|
1968?1975
|
Last flight
|
June 4, 1975
|
Total hours
|
3,245.2
|
Fate
|
Crashed and sank in the Pacific Ocean
|
Helicopter 66
is a United States Navy
Sikorsky Sea King
helicopter used during the late 1960s for the water recovery of
astronauts
during five missions of the
Apollo program
. It has been called "one of the most famous, or at least most iconic, helicopters in history",
[2]
was the subject of a 1969 song by
Manuela
, and was made into a
die-cast model
by
Dinky Toys
. In addition to its work in support of
NASA
, Helicopter 66 also transported the
Shah of Iran
during his 1973 visit to the aircraft carrier
USS
Kitty Hawk
.
Helicopter 66 was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1967 and formed part of the inventory of
U.S. Navy Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Four
for the duration of its active life. Among its pilots during this period was
Donald S. Jones
, who would go on to command the
United States Third Fleet
. Later re-numbered
Helicopter 740
, the aircraft crashed in the Pacific Ocean in 1975 during a training exercise. At the time of its crash, it had logged more than 3,200 hours of service.
Design
[
edit
]
Helicopter 66 pictured during the
Apollo 10
recovery in 1969
Helicopter 66 was a
Sikorsky Sea King
SH-3D.
[2]
The SH-3D model Sea Kings were designed for
anti-submarine warfare
(ASW) and were typically configured to carry a crew of four and up to three passengers.
[3]
Powered by two
General Electric
T58-GE-10 turboshaft engines producing up to 1,400 horsepower (1,000 kW) each, SH-3Ds had a maximum airspeed of 120 knots (220 km/h; 140 mph) and a mission endurance averaging 4.5 hours.
[3]
[4]
They had a maximum allowable weight of 20,500 pounds (9,300 kg) with the ability to carry an external payload of up to 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg).
[3]
During ASW missions, the Sea King SH-3D was typically armed with
MK-46/44
torpedoes.
[3]
History
[
edit
]
Early history and Apollo missions
[
edit
]
Helicopter 66 was delivered to the U.S. Navy on March 4, 1967, and, in 1968, was added to the inventory of U.S. Navy Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Four (HS-4).
[2]
Its original tail number was NT-66/2711.
[5]
Activated on June 30, 1952, Squadron Four?"the Black Knights"?was the first anti-submarine warfare helicopter squadron of the U.S. Navy to deploy aboard an aircraft carrier when, in 1953, it operated from
USS
Rendova
.
[6]
It began using the Sea King SH-3D in 1968, transitioning from the SH-3A model.
[6]
That year, the squadron was assigned to Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 59 and deployed aboard
USS
Yorktown
to the
Sea of Japan
in response to the capture of
USS
Pueblo
by the
Korean People's Navy
.
[6]
Later that year,
Yorktown
?and Squadron Four?was tasked to support the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) in the oceanic recovery of returning astronauts.
[2]
[6]
[a]
The
Apollo 8
crew disembarks Helicopter 66 aboard
USS
Yorktown
following their return to Earth in 1968
During the
Apollo 8
,
Apollo 10
, and
Apollo 11
missions, Helicopter 66 was the primary recovery vehicle which hoisted returning astronauts from the spacecraft command modules.
[2]
[8]
As a result, it was featured prominently in television news coverage and still photography, achieving?in the words of space historian
Dwayne A. Day
?the status of "one of the most famous, or at least most iconic, helicopters in history".
[2]
[9]
Commander
Donald S. Jones
, who would later command the
United States Third Fleet
, piloted Helicopter 66 during its inaugural astronaut recovery mission following Apollo 8, and again during the Apollo 11 recovery of
command module
Columbia
.
[10]
Following the Apollo 11 mission, the Navy switched to a three-digit designation system and Helicopter 66 was retagged Helicopter 740.
[2]
Recognizing the fame Helicopter 66 had achieved, the Navy began the practice of repainting Helicopter 740 as Helicopter 66 for the later recovery missions in which it participated,
Apollo 12
and
Apollo 13
, painting it back as Helicopter 740 at the conclusion of each mission.
[2]
[11]
During the period of its use for astronaut recovery, Helicopter 66 bore
victory markings
on its fuselage showing a space capsule silhouette, with one being added for each recovery in which it participated.
[12]
For the recovery of the Apollo 11 astronauts, the underside of the fuselage was emblazoned with the words "Hail, Columbia".
[13]
[b]
List of Helicopter 66 Apollo recovery flights
[
edit
]
Later history and crash
[
edit
]
From 1970 to 1972 Helicopter Squadron Four and Helicopter 66 were embarked aboard USS
Ticonderoga
CVS-14, and By 1973 Helicopter Squadron Four, and Helicopter 66 with it, were embarked aboard
USS
Kitty Hawk
.
[6]
That year, Helicopter 66 transported the
Shah of Iran
,
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
, to
Kitty Hawk
for a shipboard visit while it transited the Indian Ocean.
[6]
[17]
At 7:00 p.m. on June 4, 1975, Helicopter 66, renumbered as '740',
[18]
departed
Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach
near San Diego, California, en route to the U.S. Navy's Helo Offshore Training Area to conduct a regularly scheduled, three-hour nighttime anti-submarine training exercise.
[2]
[19]
During the operation, in which it was carrying a full complement of four crew, the helicopter crashed.
[2]
[19]
Though the crew was rescued by the
U.S. Coast Guard
, pilot
Leo Rolek
was critically injured and later died of the wounds he sustained in the crash.
[2]
[19]
The exact cause of the downing of Helicopter 66 is unknown; as of 2017 the U.S. Navy incident report remains largely classified.
[20]
The broken fuselage of the helicopter later sank in 800 fathoms (1,500 m) of water.
[19]
At the time of its crash, Helicopter 66 had flown 3,245.2 flight hours since being brought into service, and 183.6 hours since its last overhaul.
[20]
The submerged helicopter remains the property of the U.S. Navy, and a 2004 effort by private interests to recover it for preservation was not realized.
[2]
[20]
A Sikorsky Sea King painted in Helicopter 66 livery and owned by the
National Museum of Naval Aviation
, on display at the
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
in 2011
Legacy
[
edit
]
Portion of the 1969 painting
Recovery Helicopter 66
, by Tom O'Hara
A painting of Helicopter 66 was commissioned in 1969 from artist Tom O'Hara as part of a
NASA art initiative
.
[21]
It was subsequently placed in the custody of the
National Air and Space Museum
.
[21]
In September 1969 German singer
Manuela
released a single titled "Helicopter U.S. Navy 66" which features the sound of helicopter rotors.
[22]
The song was covered the next year by the Belgian pop singer
Samantha
, and was credited with helping launch her career.
[23]
In a 2007 interview, the popularity of "Helicopter U.S. Navy 66" as a closing song at dance clubs in 1970s Belgium was cited by the Belgian
Schlager
vocalist
Laura Lynn
as the inspiration for her hit "Goud".
[24]
During the early 1970s
Dinky Toys
released a
die-cast model
of a Sea King helicopter in Helicopter 66 livery.
[25]
The model included a working winch which could lift a plastic space capsule toy.
[25]
Replicas of Helicopter 66 are on display at the
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
in Oregon,
[26]
the
USS
Midway
Museum
[2]
in San Diego, and the
USS
Hornet
Museum
in Alameda, California. The helicopter at the USS
Hornet
Museum is a retired Navy Sikorsky Sea King that was used in filming the 1995 motion picture
Apollo 13
.
[27]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Early U.S. crewed spaceflights used water landings during return to Earth due to the minimum additional technology needed to outfit the spacecraft.
[7]
The command capsule required only parachutes to slow its descent sufficiently for a survivable landing on a "soft" surface like water, instead of the retrorockets that would be required for a landing on a "hard" surface like land.
[7]
- ^
The name of the Apollo 11 command capsule was "Columbia" and President of the United States
Richard Nixon
, who was personally embarked aboard USS
Hornet
for the recovery, had ordered the Band of the
COMNAVAIRPAC
to perform "
Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean
" during the recovery.
[14]
[15]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"Sikorsky UH-3H Sea King"
.
nambp.org
.
Naval Air Museum Barbers Point
. Archived from
the original
on May 2, 2019
. Retrieved
February 9,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
Day, Dwayne (June 25, 2007).
"The last flight of Helo 66"
.
The Space Review
.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
November 3,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"H-3 Sea King"
.
fas.org
.
Federation of American Scientists
.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
February 7,
2018
.
- ^
"S-61"
. Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives. Archived from
the original
on January 15, 2018.
- ^
"Sikorsky UH-3H Sea King (S-61B) ? USA ? Navy"
.
airliners.net
.
Leaf Group
.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
February 7,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"HSC-4 Command History"
.
HELSEACOMBATRON FOUR
.
U.S. Navy
.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
February 7,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
Teitel, Amy (February 10, 2018).
"Why Cosmonauts Have Never Splashed Down"
.
Discover Magazine
.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
May 12,
2018
.
- ^
Putnam, Milt.
"Navy Photographer Tells the Story of Apollo 11 Recovery"
. Naval Historical Foundation.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
November 3,
2017
.
- ^
Blair, Don (2004).
Splashdown!: NASA and the Navy
. Turner Publishing Company. p. 43.
ISBN
978-1-56311-985-9
.
- ^
Carmichael, Scott (2012).
Moon Men Return: USS Hornet and the Recovery of the Apollo 11 Astronauts
.
Naval Institute Press
. pp. 121?122.
ISBN
978-1-61251-252-5
.
- ^
"From One to Another"
.
Vertical Magazine
. April 12, 2012.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
November 3,
2017
.
- ^
"Helicopter Unit Changes Command"
.
Chula Vista Star-News
.
newspapers.com
. September 26, 1971. p. 20
. Retrieved
February 7,
2018
.
(subscription required)
- ^
Ron Nessen
(July 24, 1969).
NBC News
(television).
National Broadcasting Company
.
The President's applauding as they play "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean." Columbia, of course, is the module out there ... We understand that President Nixon requested the band play "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean". Written on the bottom of the helicopter is another welcome aboard for the astronauts, it says "Hail, Columbia".
- ^
Nixon, Richard (2013).
RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon
. Simon and Schuster. p. 172.
ISBN
978-1-4767-3183-4
.
- ^
"Astronauts Aboard Carrier"
.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
. July 24, 1969. p. 1
. Retrieved
September 27,
2017
.
(subscription required)
- ^
"Helicopter 66 crash"
.
Check-Six.com
. Retrieved
August 14,
2018
.
- ^
"Kitty Hawk II (CVA-63)"
.
Naval History and Heritage Command
.
U.S. Navy
.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
February 7,
2018
.
- ^
"The Final Flight"
.
Check-Six.com
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Aircraft Accident Report"
(PDF)
(Original U.S. Navy accident report uploaded by
The Space Review
).
United States Navy aircraft mishap board
. pp. 1?4.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
February 7,
2018
– via
The Space Review
.
- ^
a
b
c
Day, Dwayne (September 17, 2017).
"It's time to recover Helo 66"
.
The Space Review
.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
November 3,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"Recovery Helicopter #66"
.
airandspace.si.edu
.
Smithsonian Institution
. Archived from
the original
on May 3, 2019
. Retrieved
November 3,
2017
.
- ^
"Manuela ? Helicopter U.S. Navy 66 (song)"
.
germancharts.com
(in German).
Bundesverband Musikindustrie
. Retrieved
February 8,
2018
.
- ^
"Hoe zou het zijn met Samantha?"
(in Dutch).
Radio 2
. June 24, 2016
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
"Home Muziek Radio & Televisie Musical & Theater Film Fotoalbums Kalender Wedstrijden "Goud" nieuwe album van Laura Lynn!"
.
Front View Magazine
(in Dutch). June 7, 2007
. Retrieved
February 11,
2018
.
- ^
a
b
Lomax, Frank (June 1971).
"Dinky Toys News Space Recovery Special"
.
Meccano Magazine
. p. 274
. Retrieved
February 7,
2018
.
- ^
"Artifact Pick of the Week"
.
evergreenmuseum.org
.
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
February 7,
2018
.
- ^
Day, Dwayne (July 9, 2007).
"Helo 66 revisited"
.
The Space Review
.
Archived
from the original on February 7, 2018
. Retrieved
November 3,
2017
.
External links
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