Mighty Helicopters

[jdub53]

For the other helicopter aficionados on this thread (I know of at least one, right @AZJW ?  ), I thought you might find this interesting: A new Marine Corps Sikorsky CH-53K in development testing sling loading a Navy F-35C fighter (stripped down to 22,000 lbs) while inflight refueling from a KC130.

 

 

 

I'll always remember watching in awe from the flight line at the Quantico Marine Corps base air facility in 1980 or so when a CH-53E prototype came flying low across the Potomac River while sling loading a small bulldozer during external load max weight tests on a hot summer day; main rotor blades highly coned and all three engines screaming at what was likely max torque. The above pic of the E model's successor blows that mental image away. I'm glad I didn't see this while riding, as I'd have probably run off the road.

More details, pics and a video link here: https://theaviationist.com/2024/04/26/usmc-ch-53k-transports-f-35c/

 

 

 

[AZJW]

@jdub53 Awesome pic!  That 53 is a beast for sure. A buddy who I flew tours with at the Grand Canyon in the early 90's was a former CH-53E driver who was a bit intimidated flying the " tiny" Bell 206B3 Jetranger.  His comment to me was " it's a bit disconcerting flying a ship with a C-20 turbine that was used as the APU for my 53E".  Lol, he got over it when I told him the last ship I had flown prior to the 206 was a R-22 that weighed about the same as the 53E tail rotor.