|
| Some of the S-56 aircraft ordered by the Marine Corps were converted into radar patrol craft (military designation HR2S-1W), with a bulbous dielectric radome under the nose, but this transformation was unsuccessful. G.Apostolo "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Helicopters", 1984
The most obvious visual difference between the CH-37 and the Navy HR2S- 1W prototype was the latter's huge chin radome covering the AN/APS-20E search radar. The Navy ultimately abandoned further development of the HR2S-1W because severe airframe vibration severely degraded the radar's performance.
 |
This is one of two Navy HR2S-1W helicopters configured for the Airborne Early Warning (AEW) role. The aircraft was not successful in the radar surveillance role mainly because of the vibration inherent in rotary-wing aircraft. A horizontal tail surface was fitted to the right side with the anti-torque tail rotor on the left side.
|
Technical data for HR2S-1W
Engine: 2 x Pratt & WHitney R-2800-50 pistone engine, rated at 1415kW,
main rotor diameter: 21.95m,
fuselage length: 20.27m,
height: 6.71m,
take-off weight: 14060kg,
max speed: 196km/h,
service ceiling: 2438m,
range: 354km
| Joe Mount, joemountm(@)msn.com, 09.02.2007 I remember seeing this helicopter at NATC/NAS Patuxent River, MD while it was undergoing evaluation (I believe it was undergoing BIS trials). It WAS ugly and didn`t look like it was air worthy; cumberson seems like a good word. If memory serves me right, I believe one crashed at PaxRiver around `58 or early `59, right? Let me know as I have been curious about this chopper for quite some time. |
|
| |
|
Do you have any comments concerning this aircraft ?
|
| |
