Historic Helicopters

The Fleet Air Arm Museum preserved Humphrey, a Wessex HAS.3, after its exploits in the Falklands.
One of their Westland Wasps may also have some history from the conflict.

Wasp XS527 has 2 claims to fame, the first production Wasp and it was involved with Humphrey in the Santa Fe action in South Georgia, its currently on display in the museum while Humph

I think part of the problem with old helicopters is the availability of spares that are still lifed.
I believe that the airworthy Skeeter population is determined by availability of useable gearboxes.
There appears also to be little airshow demand for the historic rotary types.
I await with interest the appearance of the Vietnam Huey in the UK. Just hope it is a sucessful time for them.
OAW

Did any of the WWII German helicopters survive the war? Are any preserved?

There is the bare rolling fuselage frame / rotorhead of a Flettner Kolibri preserved at the Midland Air Museum, this was part of the collection at Cranfield until it was dispersed in the 70’s.
I believe they also now have a BMW801 engine for it as well which came from America.

Did any of the WWII German helicopters survive the war? Are any preserved?

Several of the towed Fa 330 rotor kites survive.
Postwar in France & Czechoslovakia they rebuilt some of the twin rotor Fa 223s, credited as the world’s first transport helicopters….I’m not aware of any that have survived intact.

Did any of the WWII German helicopters survive the war? Are any preserved?

How about a Sikorsky R-1 airworthy today???

I think you mean R-4…
No, none are airworthy…the CAF was working on one, I haven’t heard anything of its status.
Planes of Fame had parts ot mostof one and they traded it to the Canadian national collection where it’s in store. The NMUSAF and Smithsonian’s (currently at Pima Air museum) aren’t likely to fly again.
The same goes for the R-6 (a developed version o the R-4 with a new fuselage) and the H-5 (S-51/Westland Dragonfly & Widegon). Same for the UK tandem rotor Belvedere.
There are just a handfull of H-19s & H-34s airworthy, and just one H-21.
Aside from the early light helicopters…Bell 47s and Hiller UH-12s…and some early turbines out there: A/UH-1s, H-43s, Oh-6s, Westland Scouts, Alouette IIs & IIIs, the outlook for flying Historic helicopters is not good.

The RNZAF Museum has preserved an Iroquois (not one from our service yet, hopefully they’ll get a genuine RNZAF example when they soon retire the fleet and they are replaced with Eurocopter NH90’s), a Wasp and a Seasprite. I assume they’ll soon get a Sioux too when they retire them.

I hope some of the RNZAF Iroquois remain flying on the warbird scene when they retire, it won’t be the same without them.

The Wanaka airshows always make a point of displaying the importance of helicopters, after all, the Alpine Deer Group was built up using them.

I think really why people have a different view of choppers from planes is helicopters are seen as tools, workhorses, a bit like vans. You never see Toyota Hiace vans, or Commer vans, in car museums either. Whereas fighter or bomber aircraft, and even some transports, trainers and airliners, are often things of great beauty as far as design aesthetics goes, as well as capable machines. There is no comparison in looks or affection between a Spitfire and a Jet Ranger, or an Me109 and a Wessex.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum preserved Humphrey, a Wessex HAS.3, after its exploits in the Falklands.
One of their Westland Wasps may also have some history from the conflict.

The RAN Sea King was 30 years old. It flew in Iraq on combat missions as well as Timor etc etc plus a tour to the Gulf in 1980 when the Iraq/Iranian war started. [I was there]. Agree that historic helicopter “warbirds” need preservation. A Vietnam vintage AH-I Cobra is about to fly here. We already have a couple of ex-Nam OH-58 Kiowas together with a couple of Hueys in the air. How about a Sikorsky R-1 airworthy today???

Lifting people in Vietnam

I was trying to get in to the USAF base at Little Rock, AK when over in the US a couple of years ago and gazing at the C-130 on the gate. Wandering to look at the plaque by it I was gobsmacked that it had carried an incredible number of people during an evacuation flight in Vietnam (800+ !!!)

Sorry to go off topic – anyone confirm this

Roger Smith

PS wasso shocked I didn’t take any pictures.

It would definately make a huge difference! Mind you, i don’t think any officials from either the FAI or Guinness were around in Vietnam to actually book things.

Here is the quickest reference i could find, stating that 147 refugees plus their posessions (probably a handful of rice each) were transported in one go. It is supposed to have taken place during the evacuation of Saigon, by a Vietnamese CH-47 flying off to one of the US ships nearby. Nothing more substantial turned up though, unfortunately. It could well be a myth. http://www.flyarmy.org/incident/68102007.HTM

What’s that record then? I think a CH-47A in Vietnam once evacuated a whole village of 140-something people in one lift.

I need to get the accurate details but it was for UK troops with full kit. 140 Vietnamese woud be amazing, but not comparing like with like maybe

It also holds records (i.e. greatest number of people in a chook).

What’s that record then? I think a CH-47A in Vietnam once evacuated a whole village of 140-something people in one lift.