WOW455 H-19 Chicksaw US Army Korean War

£899.00

1 in stock

SKU: 15767-1-1-1-1-1 Categories: ,
Description

Description

The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (company number S-55) was a multi-purpose helicopter designed in the late 1940s, used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the UK. It was the first combat helicopter, being significantly used for troop movements and transport.  With the capacity to carry 10 troops, 8 litters or 5,000llb of freight, on either tricycle landing gear or floats for amphibious operations.

Development of the H-19 was in the early stages a private endeavour by Sikorsky without government sponsorship.  Designed as a testbed for design concepts, to provide greater load-carrying ability with easy maintenance, a mock-up was designed and fabricated in less than 12 months.  Maiden fight was on November 10th 1949, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp Radial Engine.

From the outset in 1951 the H19 showed its value, with one the test frames flew clandestine missions for the CIA in Korea. On April 12th1953 a H-19 rescue variant saved the US ranking ace of the war, 16 kill Captain J McConnell, from the Yellow Sea, after his aircraft was damaged.  While the CIA also used a H-19 to land behind enemy lines to collect and bring back parts of a crashed Mig 15 for evaluation.  The first Army H-19 mission in Korea was on March 20th 1953, proving emergency supplies to isolate troops from the First Infantry Division. Used extensive by the US Army and Marines in Korea, by the end of the war Marine H-19 variants had flown over 18,600 sorties, moving 60,000 troops and 3,800 tonnes of cargo.

Atlantic flight – in 1952 two H19s flew from Massachusetts in the USA to Weinsbaden in Germany. The stripped down helicopters, nicknames Hop-along and Whirl-o-way, with internal tanks hopped from Presque Isle Maine – Goose Bay Labrador – Narsarssuak Greenland – Keflavik Iceland – Prestwick Scotland – the Hague and finally Wiesbaden.  Over 20 days, 3,984 miles with a flight time of 51 hours 55 minutes.

America and the UK were the main operators of the H-55, but variants were used by over 40 countries. Numbers build was 1,728, retiring from US service in Feb 1969.

Civilian use – in 1955 the H-55 was the first helicopter to be used in a scheduled commercial operation.  With Sabena connecting cities in France, Germany and Holland.

Our 1/30 scale model is limited to 3 Army and 2 Marine versions available worldwide, each helicopter is priced at $1199 plus postage. Comes with hollowed out cargo area and full cockpit interior.

The TG accessories and K&C figures are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included.

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