This monster arrived at Murfreesboro TN sometime since yesterday afternoon. I don't know what it is used for but it's impressive.

That is some serious ramp presence.

This one was fire fighting in Idaho last fall

S-61 Model... I was involved with the design for the Fire-King 1000 gallon external fire tank that was developed by Carson Helicopters.... Carson got into a heap of trouble when one of those crashed in the Iron Gate fire a few years ago and killed 6 guys...

Some stats on the S-61

Gross weight of 22,000 (yes thats 22,000) pounds.
Carson had a 62 foot diameter composite rotor blade.
Two 1500 SHP turbine engines
130 Knot cruise @ 160 gallons Hr.
Internal / external load capacity of 11,000 pounds.
The external tank could fill in 28 seconds.

They are impressive machines....


The Erickson S-64 Skycrane which is made locally to me is even more impressive

Crew: 3 (pilot, co-pilot), plus one engineer or rear-facing observer
Capacity: up to 5 total persons
Payload: 20,000 lb
Length: 70 ft 3 in fuselage
Rotor diameter: 72 ft 0 in
Height: 18 ft 7 in
Empty weight: 19,234 lb
Max. takeoff weight: 42,000 lb
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney turboshaft 4,500 shp each

My A&P oral and practical test was done in Erickson's hanger and my AME used one of the SkyCrane's for part of the practical test. Insanely cool aircraft.

Brian

Rotors with tailwheels!
My first helicopter ride was in an LA Airways S-61, and included a stop at the Disneyland Hotel helipad.
I still come across them in interesting places:

https://www.airgreenland.com/about/our-aircraft-and-helicopters/s-61

In the coast guard we call them the HH52 Seagardian.

Used those in the antarctic in the late 70's.

Cool aircraft

Looks very similar to the MH-3 (and then the H-53) we used when I was in the AF. Good Friend of mine flew the Pave Low version.

Here's a few pics from summer 2018. I spent most days of the summer in this one..

That shot looks like the summer of 67...

Parker 77 were you in Powell River about ten days ago? There was A KVH Sikorsky on the grass.

Used to see -61’s and Skycranes in SE Alaska a lot before Silver Bay Logging folded the tents. They were the second largest private employer in the state in the hay day. If I remember right the -61 could lift 10,000 lbs and the crane 20,000 lbs. Buddy of mine did all the comm work for the company, they set repeaters all over the place. Anyway, he said they got to figuring one day and came up with the conclusion that when a crane is in hover, fuel cannot be poured out of the main bung in a 55gal drum fast enough to keep it running. It took a lot of spruce logs to pay that bill.

Love those ugly birds.

A clear example of form following function.

Also Sikorsky was a kick-ass individual. A fine American and a classic example of an immigrant living the American Dream and a country benefitng from it.

Rock on.

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