March 6 – Today in Aviation History
Posted on March 6th, 2010 by Mike in Podcast, Today in Aviation HistoryPodcast (tiah): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 4:07 — 2.9MB)
March 6
In 1935… U.S secretary of commerce signs a special air traffic regulation that prohibits air flights over parts of Washington, D.C. The first of the No-Fly Zones
In 1965… The first nonstop transcontinental helicopter flight across the United States – flown off the deck of the carrier USS Hornet at San Diego, California to the deck of the carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt off Jacksonville, Florida – is completed successfully. A U. S. Navy Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King flies 2,116 miles.
The SH-3 is a variant of the Sikorsky S-61.
In September 1957, Sikorsky won a United States Navy development contract for an amphibious anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter capable of detecting and attacking submarines.The XHSS-2 Sea King prototype flew on 11 March 1959. Production deliveries of the HSS-2 (later designated SH-3A) began in September 1961, with the initial production aircraft being powered by two 1250hp General Electric T58-GE-8B turboshafts.
Sikorsky was quick to develop a commercial model of the Sea King. The S-61L first flew on 2 November 1961, and was 4 ft 3in (1.27m) longer than the HSS-2 in order to carry a substantial payload of freight or passengers. Initial production S-61Ls were powered by two 1350shp (1005 kW) GE CT58-140 turboshafts, the civil version of the T58. The S-61L features a modified landing gear without float stabilisers.
Other Variants of the SH-3 operated by the US Military are the
CH-3C – Long-range military transport helicopter for the US Air Force.
CH-3E – Long-range military transport helicopter for the US Air Force.
HH-3E Jolly Green Giant – Long-range search and rescue helicopter for the US Air Force, 10 built and converted from CH-3E.
MH-3E – Special Operations version for the US Air Force.
VH-3E – US Air Force VIP transport helicopter.
HH-3F “Pelican” – Long-range search and rescue helicopter for the US Coast Guard,.
In 1986… Japan Air Lines embarks the world’s heaviest man, an 880-lb Austrian flying from Frankfurt, Germany, as a passenger; 16 seats are removed from the cabin to make room for him.
And that is what happened TODAY in Aviation History. See you Tomorrow!
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