HICKORY, NC (June 21, 2017)…The Hickory Aviation Museum will be unveiling a recently acquired SH-3 helicopter to add to its collection of American military aircraft on Saturday, June 24th.
SH-3 Sea King, built by Sikorsky Aircraft, first flew on March 11, 1959 and was primarily used for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). It combined the roles of hunter and killer, which had previously been carried out by two separate helicopters. The Sea King also performed various other roles and missions such as search-and-rescue, transport, anti-shipping, medevac, plane guard, and airborne early warning operations.
Key features of the emerging ASW helicopter would include its amphibious hull, enabling the rotorcraft to readily perform water landings, and the adoption of a twin-turboshaft engine arrangement that enabled a larger, heavier and better-equipped aircraft than had been possible with prior helicopters.
After entering naval service, it was also deployed by the Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines. The H-3 was phased out by 2009 after more than 50 years in service. This makes the Sea King the longest-serving operational helicopter model in Naval History.
This aircraft will be on permanent display at the Hickory Aviation Museum located at the Hickory Regional Airport. The museums hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and Sunday 1:00 pm to 4 pm.
Here is a link to some photos that we took at the Hickory Aviation Museum on June 24, 2017:
https://www.facebook.com/CaldwellJournal/posts/820572924776118
Thank you to Don Baldwin for furnishing us with this Hickory Aviation Museum Press Release.