The CH-46 Sea Knight Helicopter was decommissioned in 2014 so no longer currently in Service with the Marine Corp.
History
"In 1960, Boeing bought Vertol, a helicopter manufacturer in Philadelphia, Pa. The company had three tandem-rotor helicopters under production: the Chinook for the U.S. Army, the Sea Knight for the Navy and the Marines, and the commercial 107-II for the airlines.
The twin-turbine tandem-rotor CH-46A Sea Knight won a design competition for a medium assault transport helicopter for the Marine Corps in 1961 and made its first flight in August 1962.
The first U.S. Marine Corps Sea Knight was delivered in 1964 and began military service during the Vietnam War a year later, carrying troops and cargo to and from Navy ships in the China Sea.
By 1968, the Sea Knight had flown 75,000 hours on 180,000 missions, including 8,700 missions rescuing wounded Marines, and had carried 500,000 troops.
Between 1964 and 1990, Boeing Vertol delivered more than 600 Sea Knights. The passenger version of the Sea Knight, the Model 107-II, entered service with the New York Airways in July 1962. During the 1980s and 1990s, Boeing developed modification kits and upgrades to modernize the Sea Knights.
The Sea Knight, affectionately known as the “Phrog,” is no longer in production. It has served in such venues as Vietnam, Beirut, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan. The CH-46 was replaced by the V-22 Osprey. In October 2014, the Marines flew the last service flight of the CH-46."
CH-46 Sea Knight
In service since 1964, the CH-46 is the oldest aircraft type still serving in Marine helo squadrons, a testament to the Sea Knight's design and capability. A tandem rotor aircraft colloquially known as the 'Phrog,' the CH-46 has been used for a number of missions including vertical replenishment and assault transport, and has participated in a myriad of crises over nearly five decades including the Vietnam War and Operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Naval Aviation's first tandem-rotor helicopter, the Piasecki HRP, appeared during World War II. Fabric covered and with a top speed of 104 mph, its ungainly appearance earned it the nickname 'Flying Banana.' Nevertheless, it was on the shoulders of this primitive helicopter that the Marine Corps first experimented with the concept of heliborne assault. In 1962, the service ordered another tandem-rotor design, the HRB (later CH-46), featuring a rear cargo-loading ramp, a top speed of 166 mph, and the ability to carry 4,000 lb. of cargo or 22 combat-equipped troops.
The first Sea Knights were delivered in June 1964, and entered combat in Vietnam during 1966. They served throughout the war despite being grounded for a brief time due to mechanical maladies, and over the course of the first true helicopter war, 106 leatherneck Sea Knights were lost to enemy fire. Known affectionately as the 'Phrog,' the helicopter has served the Marine Corps continuously since Vietnam. Typically, Marine Expeditionary Units operating on board amphibious assault ships include twelve CH-46s to transport leathernecks ashore. To this end, the Vietnam-era helicopters have responded to a myriad of crises over the course of the past three decades, including service in Operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. In addition to use by the Marine Corps, which will continue until the aircraft is fully replaced by the tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey, the Navy operated the Sea Knight to vertically replenish ships at sea. Flying from fast combat support ships, three plane detachments carried everything from spare parts to food to ordnance to combatants during underway replenishment operations.
The Museum's CH-46A (Bureau Number 151952) last served in Helicopter Combat Support Squadron (HC) 6, Detachment 97, on board the combat stores ship Sylvania (AFS-2). It was flight delivered to the Museum by the squadron's commanding officer for donation.
Specifications
Manufacturer:
Vertol Division of the Boeing Company
Type:
Combat assault/utility
Crew:
Two pilots, one crew chief and up to 22 assault troops
Powerplant:
Two 1,400 horsepower General Electric T58-GE-10 shaft turbines
Dimensions:
Length: 44 ft., 10 in.
Rotor Diameter: 51 ft.
Height: 16 ft., 8.5 in.
Weight:
Empty: 13,065 lb.
Gross: 23,000 lb.
Performance:
Max Speed: 166 mph at sea level
Ceiling: 14,000 ft.
Range: 230 miles"
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